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Speaker 1: So he fled with all that he had, and he

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Speaker 1: rose up and passed over the river, and set his

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Speaker 1: face toward the Mount Gilead, Genesis thirty one twenty one.

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Speaker 1: Dear Lord, as the story in Genesis thirty one seventeen

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Speaker 1: to fifty five unfolds, let the truth of this story

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Speaker 1: minister to my soul. Lord. To day, I stand in

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Speaker 1: a place of gratitude for every season that I go through.

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Speaker 1: I will look for the good that You've hidden in

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Speaker 1: each trial and tribulation. Like Jacob Beven, though I don't

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Speaker 1: feel honored or appreciated by others, I will hold my

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Speaker 1: integrity and do everything with excellence, knowing that as I

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Speaker 1: water the field that I am intrusted with, I am

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Speaker 1: actually preparing myself to step into the great harvest season

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Speaker 1: of my life. Give me the wisdom and knowledge to

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Speaker 1: travel and build with people of integrity and honesty. Thank

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Speaker 1: you God for speaking on my behalf and for protecting

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Speaker 1: me from others who would seek to harm and hinder me.

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Speaker 1: I declare that I am covered, and I decree that

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Speaker 1: under your protection, Lord, I am untouchable. Then Jesus name, Amen,

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Speaker 1: thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time

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Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to

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Speaker 1: you by Bible in a Year dot com fleeing from Laban.

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Speaker 1: Before this story, we learned how Jacob married Leah and

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Speaker 1: Rachel and had twelve sons and one daughter. Leah and

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Speaker 1: Rachel lived in constant feud with one another inspite of

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Speaker 1: each other daily. Jacob, in search of a new beginning

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Speaker 1: with his family, left Laban and ventured back to Canaan. However,

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Speaker 1: Jacob tricked Leban and to giving him stronger and more sheep.

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Speaker 1: Now we will learn about Jacob lethan Leban's anger of

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Speaker 1: Jacob and their treaty inspired by the Book of Genesis. Hello,

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Speaker 1: I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible

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Speaker 1: of the Year podcast. Previously, we learned how Jacob was

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Speaker 1: tricked into marrying Rachel's older sister Leah first, and then

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Speaker 1: how he married Rachel, whom he loved. We learned about

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Speaker 1: the awful spite between sisters and Jacob's lack of leadership

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Speaker 1: in his family. Now, Jacob has twelve sons and one daughter,

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Speaker 1: and he decides he needs to leave Laban behind and

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Speaker 1: move his family to Canaan. His homeland. The fortune he's

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Speaker 1: amassed is plenty to send him off with his family

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Speaker 1: to a new home. But Laban's sons are not happy

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Speaker 1: with Jacob's prosperity, and Jacob fears for his own safety,

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Speaker 1: just as we saw him do when he tricked Esau,

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Speaker 1: Jacob will try to run undetected without a goodbye. This

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Speaker 1: is a story of sorrow and heard as a family

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Speaker 1: is broken up because of so much dysfunction on all sides.

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Speaker 1: In the midst of it all, though, you will see

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Speaker 1: how God works in bringing Healy into hurtful situations and

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Speaker 1: blessings into the biggest message you could possibly imagine. So

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Speaker 1: let's listen now to today's story of Jacob fleeing Laban

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Speaker 1: and the Lord continually blessing the Chosen family. Jacob had

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Speaker 1: amassed a large flock and a great amount of wealth.

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Speaker 1: This caused Laban's sons to be riled up with anger.

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Speaker 1: Jacob had heard rumors that Laban's sons were upset and

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Speaker 1: willing to harm him, so he rushed immediately to his wives.

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Speaker 1: He found them in the fields and said, I have

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Speaker 1: fallen from the favor of your father. I have worked

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Speaker 1: tirelessly for him, and he has cheated me far too

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Speaker 1: many times. With desperation in his voice, Jacob continued by saying,

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Speaker 1: God will not allow him to harm me, but we

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Speaker 1: must go quick and flee to the land of my father.

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Speaker 1: Leah and Rachel agreed. Is there anything left for us

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Speaker 1: in our father's house? We are strangers in his land,

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Speaker 1: and we are yours. Everything he earned from you has

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Speaker 1: been spent. All the wealth that God has taken away

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Speaker 1: from our father belongs to us and our children. Whatever

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Speaker 1: God says, let us do it. So. Jacob arose and

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Speaker 1: set his sons and wives on camels. He packed all

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Speaker 1: he had earned and acquired from Padan Arab without notifying Labor.

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Speaker 1: Jacob had entered the land a boy desperate to build

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Speaker 1: a life worth blessing. He left a man with a

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Speaker 1: family larger than his father or grandfather could have ever

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Speaker 1: dreamed of. He set his sights on Canaan, determined to

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Speaker 1: lay hold of the blessing promised to him. Yet Jacob's

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Speaker 1: neglect of his wives would not go without consequence. Rachel,

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Speaker 1: as they were packing up to leave, stole idols from

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Speaker 1: Laban's home. Three days had passed and Laban was notified

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Speaker 1: that Jacob had fled. Laban was beside himself. He gathered

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Speaker 1: a small army of kinsmen and pursued Jacob for seven days. Closely.

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Speaker 1: They telled Jacob through the hill country of Gilead, with

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Speaker 1: the full intent of killing Jacob and taking back his daughters.

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Speaker 1: God met Laban in a dream. Be careful, do not

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Speaker 1: say a word to Jacob, neither good or bad. God

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Speaker 1: warned that morning, before the sun had broken above the horizon,

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Speaker 1: Laban and his men descended upon Jacob on horseback. They

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Speaker 1: surrounded him, fury nating from their faces. Laban, livid and weary,

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Speaker 1: roared at Jacob, what have you done? You have tricked

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Speaker 1: me again and taken my daughters like captives. Laban was

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Speaker 1: speaking as a father, not as a landowner. His worry

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Speaker 1: for his daughters caused a deep rage to boil up

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Speaker 1: in him. You robbed me of a chance to kiss

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Speaker 1: my daughters and grandchildren farewell. I would have sent you

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Speaker 1: off well with revelry, but instead you fleed like criminals.

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Speaker 1: Laban's face seemed to shift from anger to sorrow, eyes

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Speaker 1: beginning to fog up with tears. Laban pointed at Jacob,

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Speaker 1: you are foolish Jacob, and it is in my power

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Speaker 1: to kill you and take back my daughters, but the

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Speaker 1: god of your father warned me not to harm you.

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Speaker 1: Laban's face fell. I understand you wanted to go back

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Speaker 1: to the land of your father, but why would you

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Speaker 1: steal my gods as well well? Jacob, disarmed and dismayed,

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Speaker 1: answered Laban and said, I left out of fear. I

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Speaker 1: could not bear the thought of you taking your daughters

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Speaker 1: from me by force. But as for your gods, I

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Speaker 1: promise you I do not have them. If anyone here

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Speaker 1: in my camp has them, they shall not live. Go

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Speaker 1: and see for yourself whatever is yours take back, for

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Speaker 1: Jacob was unaware of Rachel's thievery, so Laban searched Jacob's

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Speaker 1: tent and then ventured into Leah's tent. He tore apart everything,

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Speaker 1: searching desperately for his idols. Finally he entered Rachel's tent.

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Speaker 1: He looked at her, then began to ransack the room.

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Speaker 1: Rachel remained still, for she sat on a camel's saddle,

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Speaker 1: which held the idols in them. Forgive me for not

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Speaker 1: getting up, Rachel said, in her most dainty voice. It

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Speaker 1: is my time of the month. And I cannot bear

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Speaker 1: to stand. Laban continued his search in vain, then left

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Speaker 1: the tent. Jacob watched Laban exit his wife's tent. For years,

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Speaker 1: Jacob served under Laban for years. He had watched a

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Speaker 1: Laban do business in the shadows for years. He had

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Speaker 1: taken the abuse and ridicule. He worked vigorously for Laban.

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Speaker 1: Jacob once feared him as a child does his abusive father.

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Speaker 1: Yet watching Laban scare his family and ransacked the living

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Speaker 1: space of his wives awoke a deep outrage within him.

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Speaker 1: Jacob became indignant. Outraged, he brayed a Laban, saying, what

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Speaker 1: is my offense? What have I done as a sin

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Speaker 1: against you? You have pursued me like a criminal, and

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Speaker 1: now you have felt through all my goods. Have you

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Speaker 1: found your petty idols? Have you? Jacob's fumes grew higher

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Speaker 1: and his voice trembled with anger. For twenty years I

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Speaker 1: have served you your sheep and goats, never once miscarried

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Speaker 1: under my care. I have not eaten of your flocks.

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Speaker 1: Whatever was eaten by wild beasts I paid for myself.

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Speaker 1: You showed me no grace. Day by day the heat

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Speaker 1: consumed me, and in the cold of night I worked,

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Speaker 1: I lost sleep, and I lost twenty years of my

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Speaker 1: life under you. Leban's face grew white as Jacob led

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Speaker 1: his heart's anguish before him. Jacob's voice grew softer, yet

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Speaker 1: it inspired more fear from all those listening. He said,

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Speaker 1: I served seven years for Rachel, and you deceived me

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Speaker 1: and gave me Leah. Yet I stayed and worked seven more.

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Speaker 1: For six years, I worked for your flocks, and in

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Speaker 1: those years you changed my wage ten times. Jacob pointed

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Speaker 1: to Laban and rebuked him, saying, I serve the god

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Speaker 1: of Abraham and the fear of Isaac. If he was

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Speaker 1: not on my side, you would have sent me my

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Speaker 1: way empty handed. He knows my affliction and your oppression.

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Speaker 1: That is why he warned you last night. Laban composed himself.

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Speaker 1: He spoke again as Jacob's equal. Those are my daughters,

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Speaker 1: and those are my grandchildren. Your flocks are my flocks,

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Speaker 1: and all that you see before you is mine. A

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Speaker 1: sigh emanated from Laban's lungs. He looked behind Jacob, seeing

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Speaker 1: his grandchildren listen from afar. But what can I do

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Speaker 1: now for them? He said? Come now, let us make

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Speaker 1: a final agreement. A covenant that cannot be broken. So

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Speaker 1: Laban and Jacob gathered stones to set as a monument

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Speaker 1: to their agreement. Laban spoke loud and saying, let this

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Speaker 1: be a witness between us to day that we will

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Speaker 1: remain separated and forge our own paths, as long as

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Speaker 1: you agreed to deal kindly with my daughters and take

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Speaker 1: no more wives for yourself. So Jacob agreed. The two

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Speaker 1: dinner together, and early in the morning, Laban kissed his

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Speaker 1: daughters and grandchildren and went back to his land. Jacob,

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Speaker 1: accustomed to being a trickster with his words, was forced

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Speaker 1: to face Laban as an honest man, and Jacob, who

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Speaker 1: once stood idly as his wives destroyed one another, promised

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Speaker 1: to love them the way they were meant to be loved.

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Speaker 1: And God, remaining faithful to his chosen, was working even

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Speaker 1: in the dysfunction and imperfection. Well, despite the missteps, mistakes,

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Speaker 1: and messiness, God has blessed Jacob beyond what he could

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Speaker 1: have possibly imagine. But not everyone was so thrilled with

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Speaker 1: this prosperity, and his brothers in law were very upset.

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Speaker 1: Jacob once again decides to run. That's what he does,

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Speaker 1: only this time he's taking a large household, but he

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Speaker 1: doesn't want Laban to know he's leaving, for he fears

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Speaker 1: Laban's anger more than he trust in the promises of God.

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Speaker 1: Though his methods and motives are certainly not perfect by

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Speaker 1: any means, we do see Jacob once again setting his

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Speaker 1: attentions on the blessings of God, just like when he

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Speaker 1: tricked his father and brothers so many years ago. Rachel

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Speaker 1: and Leiah commit to follow their husband, but there remains

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Speaker 1: a lot of distrust with Rachel, for she takes three

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Speaker 1: of her father's idols. When Laban finds out Jacob is

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Speaker 1: left with his daughters and grandkids, he is now bent

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Speaker 1: on retribution and gives Chase he's running after Jacob, but

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Speaker 1: God intervenes to protect Jacob the patriarch who is stewarding,

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Speaker 1: though very poorly, God's plan of redemption for the world.

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Speaker 1: And remember this is all about God's plan of redemption.

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Speaker 1: God warns Laban to proceed carefully and watch his words.

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Speaker 1: When he finally catches up to Jacob, Laban's words are

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Speaker 1: filled with rage, but more than anything, grief for the

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Speaker 1: loss of his daughters and his grandchildren. As he unloads

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Speaker 1: his feelings on Jacob. He reveals God had warned him

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Speaker 1: not to harm him. It truly is a testament to

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Speaker 1: the awesomeness and the sovereignty of our God, for when

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Speaker 1: he speaks, even those who do not follow him, their

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Speaker 1: hearts are changed. His sovereignty, his supremacy cannot be questioned.

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Speaker 1: Laban has wielded control over Jacob for a long time now,

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Speaker 1: often dishonest in his dealings and double talking, truly no integrity.

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Speaker 1: But when he was confronted with the truth of his

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Speaker 1: past manipulations and dishonesty, he addresses his son in law

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Speaker 1: as his equal. Though he knows he can lay claim

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Speaker 1: to much of what Jacob has, Laban knows he must

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Speaker 1: make peace with Jacob justice God had commanded him to do.

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Speaker 1: Jacob and Laban, despite their differences and past grievances, make

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Speaker 1: a covenant between them to go their own way in peace,

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Speaker 1: and Laban, still the loving father, charges Jacob to take

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Speaker 1: care of his daughter and to take no other wives.

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Speaker 1: It is a plea for Jacob. It is an exhortation

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Speaker 1: Jacob needed to hear. Sometimes when you are trapped in

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Speaker 1: a dysfunctional situation or family or hurtful relationship. The only

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Speaker 1: kind of reconciliation that will work is a peaceful separation.

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Speaker 1: You just have to walk away, and that's what we

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Speaker 1: are seeing in today's reading. In the end, this is

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Speaker 1: a story of God's grace. Despite jacob sins, failures, and mistakes,

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Speaker 1: God remains faithful. God protected him and led him to

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Speaker 1: break free from Laban. Despite Laban's idolatrous pagan beliefs. God

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Speaker 1: appeared to him and spoke to him and helped him

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Speaker 1: to diffuse the situation that could have turned out to

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Speaker 1: be violent. So Jacob departs with his wives, committing to

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Speaker 1: love them and care for them as he should. It's

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Speaker 1: a new beginning, and as in many times in the

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Speaker 1: case of God's story, with a new beginning comes a

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Speaker 1: new name. That's why we're going to look at the

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Speaker 1: next time. Let's pray, Dear God, how we thank you

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Speaker 1: for what this story is teaching us about breaking free

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Speaker 1: from hurtful, toxic, damaging relationships. Help us to know that

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Speaker 1: when we must break free, that you would give us

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Speaker 1: wisdom to do so with grace and humility, trusting you

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Speaker 1: to lead us all the way, and that there could

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Speaker 1: be peace in the midst of the separation. Thank you

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Speaker 1: Lord that you are always faithful, faithful to us in

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Speaker 1: every way, just as you were faithful to Jacob, you

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Speaker 1: are more than faithful to us in Christ's name. Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you so very much for listening to today's Bibleity

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Speaker 1: Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham, pastor in Dallas, Texas. Download

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Speaker 1: the Prey dot com app and make prayer a priority

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Speaker 1: in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it

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Speaker 1: with someone you love us. By sharing this podcast, you

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Speaker 1: can make a difference in someone's life. And if you

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Speaker 1: want more resources on how to tap into God's power

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Speaker 1: for Christian living, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org.

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Speaker 1: God bless This episode is sponsored by Medshare, an innovative

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