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You are Israel - The Book of Genesis
October 30, 2022 · 18 min
In this Bible Story, Jacob enters into his homeland once again and clings to the blessings of God, changing his name to Israel. Esau then forgives Jacob, and the two go their separate ways. This story is inspired by Genesis 32-33. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Genesis 32:28 from the King James Version.Episode 23: As Jacob approaches the land of Canaan, he sends messengers to greet his older brother, Esau, in the hopes of soothing the anger he aroused so many years ago. While Esau comes to meet him with 400 men in response, Jacob prays to God, seeking His favor and reaffirming his trust. Jacob sent the rest of the camp ahead of him, and while he stayed on the other side of the river Jabbok, God in the form of a man came and wrestled with Him. There Jacob would receive his new name…Israel.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Series Bible in a Year with Jack Graham
Dr. Jack Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation's largest, most dynamic congregations.
October 30, 2022 · 18 min · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham
In this Bible Story, Jacob enters into his homeland once again and clings to the blessings of God, changing his name to Israel. Esau then forgives Jacob, and the two go their separate ways. This story is inspired by Genesis 32-33. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Genesis 32:28 from the King James Version.Episode 23: As Jacob approaches the land of Canaan, he sends messengers to greet his older brother, Esau, in the hopes of soothing the anger he aroused so many years ago. While Esau comes to meet him with 400 men in response, Jacob prays to God, seeking His favor and reaffirming his trust. Jacob sent the rest of the camp ahead of him, and while he stayed on the other side of the river Jabbok, God in the form of a man came and wrestled with Him. There Jacob would receive his new name…Israel.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. ...more Show the full description Show less In this Bible Story, Jacob enters into his homeland once again and clings to the blessings of God, changing his name to Israel. Esau then forgives Jacob, and the two go their separate ways. This story is inspired by Genesis 32-33. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Genesis 32:28 from the King James Version.Episode 23: As Jacob approaches the land of Canaan, he sends messengers to greet his older brother, Esau, in the hopes of soothing the anger he aroused so many years ago. While Esau comes to meet him with 400 men in response, Jacob prays to God, seeking His favor and reaffirming his trust. Jacob sent the rest of the camp ahead of him, and while he stayed on the other side of the river Jabbok, God in the form of a man came and wrestled with Him. There Jacob would receive his new name…Israel.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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0:00 And He said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.0:12 Genesis 32 28. Dear God, as I reflect on my life, thank you Lord for the gift of reconciliation and forgiveness. Thank you0:23 that even in my wrongdoings, You produce grace moments for me. Like Jacob in Genesis 32 and 33, I choose to believe the words of Your angels that0:35 declare that here is the Lord's place. I declare that my life is the Lord's place. I declare that my business is the Lord's place, and that my0:47 relationships are in the Lord's place. Therefore, I will not be afraid of seasons when I feel I am wrestling for a new identity, a new blessing, and a new0:59 beginning. I confess that I will hold on to you God until I receive my newness, and I will not let go even after you bless me.1:12 You are my waymaker, and you are the God that makes old things new. Thank you Lord that even in the midst of dysfunction, you still allow your glory to1:24 settle my differences and bring restoration to my life. Thank you for a new name of victory and a new purpose for my life filled with all1:35 Your many blessings. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To hear the1:47 Bible come to life, stay tuned for the Bible in a year, brought to you by bibleinayear dot com.1:54 Lots of places can expose you to identity theft. Oh, no. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own.
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2:39 You are Israel. Before this story, we learned of Jacob fleeing the service of Laban. He packed his family and traveled back to Canaan. However, Laban would not let
2:50 Jacob go. Jacob and Laban bore their souls before 1 another, sharing the anger that rested in both their hearts. Eventually, the 2 made peace, and Laban sent
3:02 Jacob on his way. Now we will learn about Jacob entering into his homeland once again, Although he feared the wrath of his brother Esau, wrestling with God, Jacob
3:14 will cling to the blessings of God and get his name changed. Inspired by the book of Genesis.
3:22 Hello. I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the bible in a year podcast. Previously, we heard the story of how Jacob fled from Laban, a man who had wronged and deceived Jacob for
3:34 many years. In the end, the 2 men made peace and Laban let Jacob go to Canaan, the land of Jacob's father, the land of promise. And Jacob took with him his
3:46 wealth and a large family. Today, we'll see how Jacob enters his former homeland and seeks reconciliation with his brother Esau. If you remember their story, it was Jacob
3:58 who was the cheater and trickster in that relationship. And when he fled more than 20 years before, Esau was filled with rage and murderous intent. As you listen to
4:09 this passage of scripture, imagine the fear with which Jacob stepped into this dangerous territory to face his brother Esau. Before he encounters Esau, he's going to face
4:21 another man. But this is not just any man and he isn't a stranger as Jacob will discover. It is an encounter Jacob must have before he faces Esau and it will be
4:33 a life changing turning point in his life and future. So pay close attention as Jacob and Esau finally face each other again. Will there be bitterness and bloodshed
4:45 or renewal and reconciliation? Let's listen to God's word and find out.
4:52 A familiar breeze blew through the valley below Jacob. The sweet summer air caressed the plains causing the grass to dance. Jacob smiled and turned his face towards the
5:03 sun. He was home again. Still a few miles away from Canaan, he then turned towards the hill he had set camp on. Angels of the Lord had met him there. Already,
5:16 Jacob knew that something holy and peculiar was taking place. This is God's camp, Jacob acknowledged. The last time Jacob was there, he had run away in fear of his
5:27 brother, Esau. Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, so he left in hope that his brother's anger would subside. Jacob sent messengers to go before him saying, I have
5:39 sojourned with our uncle Laban and have been there until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, servants that I wish to share with you. I say all these things to
5:51 find favor in your sight. Jacob's servants had sent Esau the message and waited on the outskirts of his land to see what his response would be. Around the
6:03 corner of the canyons, the messengers saw Esau coming out to meet with Jacob. Only behind him was 400 armed men. A great fear fell upon Jacob. He
6:15 remembered how wild of a man Esau was, filled with power intact. Jacob did not have the strength nor the men to defend himself. Jacob prepared for the worst. He
6:27 divided his camp into 2 parties and sent them on opposite ends of 1 another. If Esau came to destroy 1 of the camps, the other would be spared. Jacob trembled before
6:38 God. Fear was overcoming him, and he looked to heaven and said, God of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, you have told me to return. You desired for me to be here so
6:50 that you might bless me. I am not worthy of your kindness or your provision. Jacob, for perhaps the first time in his life, felt the full weight of God's love for
7:02 him. You have shown me steadfast love and faithfulness. I began with nothing to my name except a staff, and now I have 2 camps that rely on
7:13 me. Tears hit Jacob's trembling hands. Please deliver me from the revenge of my brother. I fear him, and I fear for all the
7:25 people here under my care. But you promised to bless me and to expand my offspring. I will trust you. Jacob lingered there for the night.
7:37 He sent out droves of gifts of cattle, goats, and other livestock before him to gain favor with Esau. Yet there was no predicting how Esau would receive his gifts, for
7:49 he pursued Jacob with 400 men behind him. That same night, Jacob arose with his wives and 11 children and sent them across the stream of
8:00 Jabbok. He sent them away to be safe with everything else he had in his possession. Jacob was left alone until a man sprang up from behind him. Struggling in the mud
8:12 and gravel, Jacob wrestled with this man in the dead of night. Sweat and blood dripping from his body, Jacob fought for his life under the weight of this unknown stranger. The night drew on, and the sun was
8:24 beginning to rear its head between the hills. Jacob, while endeavoring with this man, became increasingly more aware of his divine nature. His wrestling match was not an assault, but
8:36 an invitation. This is God's camp, echoed in his memory. Jacob, the once timid tent dweller, found himself grappling on the ground with God himself.
8:48 Dawn peeked through the trees. The man saw that he would not prevail against Jacob. He touched his hip socket and jammed his hip out of its joint. Jacob screamed and released his
9:00 legs from around the man. Yet he clung to him with his arms, refusing to let go. Let me go, for the day is broken, the man said. Jacob,
9:13 who had spent his entire life making his own luck, was face to face with the end of himself. He had deceived his brother into selling his birthright. He had tricked his father into
9:24 blessing him, and he had swindled Laban into making him richer. Yet now Jacob was faced with God himself and had no means to trick his way into victory. Jacob's
9:36 eyes closed tightly, and he flexed his arms firmly to the legs of this this man and said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. A slight smile came across the
9:48 man's face. What is your name? He asked. Jacob, he shouted in pain. You shall no longer be called Jacob, he said, but Israel,
10:00 for you have wrestled with God and with men and prevailed. Please tell me your name, Jacob asked. Now a full smile filled his face. Why
10:12 is it that you ask my name? He said, and he blessed him. So Jacob called that place Penao, saying, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been
10:24 spared. The sun's rays reflected off of the stream beside Jacob, and the warmth of the day began to dry the blood and sweat off his body. Limping back to his camp, Jacob
10:36 felt ready for whatever would come next. With the sun behind him, Jacob gazed upon the fields below. He could see Esau and his 400 men creeping closer and
10:47 closer. Still filled with an exhausted euphoria, Jacob hobbled towards his brother with his family traveling behind him. As the 2 drew nearer, Esau began running towards
10:59 Jacob. He ran with fervor and power. The years had not taken away Esau's strength. Before Esau could catch Jacob, he fell to his knees and bowed before him.
11:11 As a bear would, Esau wrapped Jacob up in his arms and embraced him. He kissed his neck and wept at the sight of his twin brother. The years had wiped his bitterness
11:23 away, and all that remained was the affection of 2 twin brothers united after decades apart. Esau lifted his eyes past his brother towards Jacob's family.
11:35 Who are these with you? Esau said. Jacob then introduced his family to Esau, and they embraced his kindred spirits. Why have you sent so many gifts? Esau asked.
11:47 To earn your forgiveness, brother. Please take them. Esau refused them at first, but Jacob insisted. Jacob knew that he had truly wronged his brother and felt the depths of what
11:59 he had done. The 2 of them embraced again, and Esau forgave Jacob. Esau departed that same day, and Jacob settled in a place near
12:11 Sheikah and built an altar to God called El Elohe Israel, meaning the God of Israel. And Jacob built a new life for him and his family, a life
12:23 of flourishing and love. Though sorrow would not remain a stranger to Jacob, God's love was present.
12:33 After years of self imposed exile, Jacob is finally going home. He's now a wealthy man and much older and he has a large family. It seems
12:45 that God's plan to make a great nation from his family is beginning to take shape. However, there are matters to be dealt with first and Jacob is not expecting to return home to a
12:57 hero's welcome. Will his brother Esau's anger remain or even worse, could it have grown stronger and more bitter? Jacob had run-in fear from his problems. That's what he always did,
13:09 run, because he was filled with selfish ambitions and deceptive in all his ways. We've been there, haven't we? We know when we have disobeyed God, messed up,
13:21 and then there comes the time of consequences. The fact that we can't hide our sin any longer and it comes time to face the music. God wants to remind Jacob that even in this moment,
13:33 he is not alone. So he sends angels to meet him on the outskirts of Canaan. Jacob sends messengers ahead to let Esau know that he's returned and that he is ready to share his
13:45 accumulated wealth. Can you imagine the fear Jacob must have been feeling? Just waiting to see how Esau would react? But notice that this time rather than resorting to scheming
13:56 and cleverness, Jacob goes to God in prayer. He turns the problem over to God. Jacob acknowledges God's presence and how unworthy he was of the faithfulness and the
14:08 blessing of the Almighty. Then he made his honest petition, openly telling God of all his fears and reminding God of his promise to bless the nations through him.
14:21 So now we're seeing a much more mature and reverend Jacob than we've seen before. He's now truly humble. And knowing how much he owes Esau for his treachery, Jacob sends
14:32 3 league parties ahead filled with gifts of livestock to meet Esau. What he does next is yet another sign of Jacob embracing the mantle of leadership and role of protector of his family.
14:45 He guides him across the river and then returns alone to camp. It's only him now, exposed and vulnerable. That very night there is a battle, but not with his
14:57 estranged brother. The Lord himself wrestles with Jacob. Jacob stubbornly refused to quit or to give up. Even after God touched his hip and threw it out
15:09 of socket, Jacob would not relent or let go of his opponent. This is 1 of the most fascinating scenes in all the Bible. He doesn't recognize this stranger he is wrestling with as
15:21 God, but he knows there's something very special about him. In the Gospel of Luke we find a story of the risen Christ walking on the road to Emmaus. His traveling companions did not recognize him for
15:33 who he was, the risen Christ, but their hearts were strangely warm. They knew something was different. Was Jacob's heart also warmed? Jacob agrees to only release
15:45 his opponent if the man will bless him. He cries out for the blessing of God. But before God gives him the blessing, he gives him a new name and this new name has great
15:56 significance. Jacob, the cheater, will now be called Israel, the Prince of God because he wrestled with God and did not quit. Jacob leaves that encounter with a brand new name
16:08 but also a limp as a reminder of that night forever. When we truly encounter God, it will change us in ways that we cannot understand or even possibly sometimes imagine
16:21 and it will bless us in ways we cannot foresee. That very day Jacob finally meets Esau and reconciliation occurs. The Lord God had gone before Jacob, now
16:32 Israel. It was not the shower of gifts that softened Esau's heart but God's grace. Jacob is now humble and repentant, making no excuses for his actions.
16:44 Esau for his part makes no attempt to take advantage of his upper hand. There's no more need for hate, no more need for running, no more need for separation.
16:56 Now there is peace. The 2 brothers embrace and Esau forgives Jacob. As Esau departs, Jacob, Israel, builds an altar to remember
17:08 God's faithfulness. The altar is called the God of Israel for that is who God is. Dear God of Israel and of all nations, the God and father of our Lord Jesus
17:20 Christ, thank you for being the God who wrestles with his children and blesses them. Just as you bless Jacob for clinging to you, may you bless us as we turn to you,
17:32 trust you, and never let go. Thank you for this beautiful story of unification between brothers and the hope that shines through into our broken relationships. Help us to
17:44 trust you to go before us in our relationships just as you did for Jacob and Esau. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
17:55 Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray dot com app and make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone
18:07 you love. By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in someone's life. And if you want more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be sure to visit
18:19 JackGraham dot org. God bless.
18:26 This episode is sponsored by Medi Share, an innovative healthcare solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.
18:36 This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.
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