1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,800 Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,160 in a year. 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,400 Yesterday we heard about the death of Abraham and how Isaac and Rebekah got twins, Esau 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:18,300 and Jacob, and how Esau traded his birthright and gave it to Jacob for a bowl of lentil, 5 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,600 and how Jacob stole the blessing from their father, the blessing that's reserved to the 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:29,160 elder son, and how under the advice of Rebekah he fled and went and stayed with his uncle 7 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:34,720 so that his brother wouldn't kill him for stealing the blessing from their father, Isaac. 8 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:39,680 Today we're going to hear about the life of Jacob with Laban and how he marries Rachel 9 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,520 and Leah and how he has children from both of them. 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:44,960 Let us begin. 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:50,940 Today's reading is from Genesis chapters 28, 29 and 30. 12 00:00:50,940 --> 00:00:52,860 Chapter 28. 13 00:00:52,860 --> 00:00:57,280 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him and said to him, You shall not 14 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,680 take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 15 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:05,720 Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and take yourself 16 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,920 a wife from there of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 17 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:15,600 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly 18 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:21,320 of peoples and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that 19 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:27,320 you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham. 20 00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:33,000 So Isaac sent Jacob away and he went to Paddan Aram to Laban, the son of Bethuel, the Syrian, 21 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,440 the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. 22 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:42,640 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram to take himself 23 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,280 a wife from there, and that as he blessed him, he gave him a charge saying, You shall 24 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,760 not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his 25 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,240 mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 26 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,360 Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. 27 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:05,280 So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalat, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the 28 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:10,300 sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had. 29 00:02:10,300 --> 00:02:15,640 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran, so he came to a certain place 30 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:19,320 and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. 31 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,520 And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in 32 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,440 that place to sleep. 33 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:31,760 Then he dreamed and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, 34 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:35,400 and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 35 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:41,320 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, your father, 36 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:46,960 and God of Isaac, the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 37 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,320 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth. 38 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:55,920 You shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south, and in you 39 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:59,560 and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 40 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:05,640 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land, 41 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:10,180 for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you. 42 00:03:10,180 --> 00:03:15,160 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did 43 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:16,800 not know it. 44 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,200 And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! 45 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,520 This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 46 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,000 Then Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put at his head, set 47 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:34,900 it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it, and he called the name of that place Bethel, 48 00:03:34,900 --> 00:03:38,360 but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 49 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:43,680 Then Jacob made a vow saying, If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I 50 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:49,040 am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my Father's 51 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,760 house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 52 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,080 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house. 53 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:02,520 And of all that you give me, I will surely give a tenth to you. 54 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,360 Chapter 29 55 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,300 So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 56 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:10,560 And he looked and saw a well in the field. 57 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,280 And behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it. 58 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,920 For out of that well they watered the flocks. 59 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,680 A large stone was on the well's mouth. 60 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,240 Now all the flocks would be gathered there, and they would roll the stone from the well's 61 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:29,060 mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth. 62 00:04:29,060 --> 00:04:32,240 And Jacob said to them, My brethren, where are you from? 63 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,960 And they said, We are from Haran. 64 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,960 Then he said to them, Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor? 65 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,080 And they said, We know him. 66 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,160 So he said to them, Is he well? 67 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:43,600 And they said, He is well. 68 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,040 And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep. 69 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,960 Then he said, Look, it is still high day. 70 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,260 It is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. 71 00:04:53,260 --> 00:04:55,520 Water the sheep and go and feed them. 72 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,200 But they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together. 73 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,640 And they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth, then we water the sheep. 74 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:08,160 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she 75 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:09,780 was a shepherdess. 76 00:05:09,780 --> 00:05:14,800 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, 77 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,560 and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone 78 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:24,200 from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 79 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,620 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept. 80 00:05:28,620 --> 00:05:34,280 Then Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebecca's son. 81 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:36,620 So she ran and told her father. 82 00:05:36,620 --> 00:05:41,720 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob, his sister's son, that 83 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:46,480 he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. 84 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:48,720 So he told Laban all these things. 85 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,500 And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. 86 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:55,140 And he stayed with him for a month. 87 00:05:55,140 --> 00:05:59,440 Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me 88 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:00,780 for nothing? 89 00:06:00,780 --> 00:06:03,480 Tell me, what should your wages be? 90 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:08,240 Now Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger 91 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:09,240 was Rachel. 92 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:14,720 Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. 93 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:20,160 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger 94 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:21,160 daughter. 95 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,840 Then Laban said, It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to 96 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:26,920 another man. 97 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:28,080 Stay with me. 98 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,360 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed only a few days to him because 99 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,480 of the love he had for her. 100 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:40,840 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife for my days are fulfilled, that I may go into 101 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:41,840 her. 102 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:45,720 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 103 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,680 Now it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to 104 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:56,280 Jacob and he went into her and Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a 105 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:57,320 maid. 106 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:02,280 So it came to pass in the morning that behold it was Leah and he said to Laban, What is 107 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:04,040 this you have done to me? 108 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,360 Was it not for Rachel that I served you? 109 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,320 Why then have you deceived me? 110 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,800 And Laban said, It must not be done so in our country to give the younger before the 111 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:13,800 firstborn. 112 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,760 Fulfill her week and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve 113 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,440 with me still another seven years. 114 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:26,680 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week so he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also 115 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:31,600 and Laban gave his maid Bila to his daughter Rachel as a maid. 116 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:37,360 Then Jacob also went into Rachel and he also loved Rachel more than Leah and he served 117 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,460 with Laban still another seven years. 118 00:07:40,460 --> 00:07:45,880 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved he opened her womb but Rachel was barren so Leah 119 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:51,680 conceived and bore a son and she called his name Reuben for she said, The Lord has surely 120 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:56,360 looked on my affliction now therefore my husband will love me. 121 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,840 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am 122 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:07,280 unloved he has therefore given me this son also and she called his name Simeon. 123 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:12,800 She conceived again and bore a son and said, Now this time my husband will become attached 124 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:19,040 to me because I have borne him three sons therefore his name was called Levi. 125 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:24,320 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, Now I will praise the Lord therefore 126 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,600 she called his name Judah. 127 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,120 Then she stopped bearing. 128 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,440 Chapter 30 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no 129 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:38,880 children Rachel envied her sister and said to Jacob, Give me children or else I die. 130 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,760 And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel and he said, Am I in the place of God who 131 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,520 has withheld from you the fruit of the womb? 132 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:52,960 So she said, Here is my maid Bela go into her and she will bear a child on my knees 133 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,840 that I also may have children by her. 134 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:01,520 Then she gave him Bela her maid as wife and Jacob went into her and Bela conceived and 135 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,240 bore Jacob a son. 136 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:08,400 Then Rachel said, God has judged my case and he has also heard my voice and given me a 137 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:12,000 son therefore she called his name Dan. 138 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,480 And Rachel's maid Bela conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 139 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:21,160 Then Rachel said with great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and indeed I have 140 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:22,320 prevailed. 141 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,920 So she called his name Naftali. 142 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:30,320 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob 143 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,480 as wife and Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 144 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,480 Then Leah said a true comes. 145 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,040 So she called his name Gad. 146 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,920 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 147 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:47,240 Then Leah said I am happy for the daughters will call me blessed. 148 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,040 So she called his name Asher. 149 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:53,520 Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field and brought 150 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,040 them to his mother Leah. 151 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,680 Then Rachel said to Leah please give me some of your son's mandrakes. 152 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,720 But she said to her is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? 153 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,480 Would you take away my son's mandrakes also? 154 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,800 And Rachel said therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes. 155 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,440 When Jacob came out of the field in the evening Leah went out to meet him and said you must 156 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:19,000 come in to me for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes. 157 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,600 And he lay with her that night. 158 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:25,160 And God listened to Leah and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 159 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:30,380 Leah said God has given me my wages because I have given my maid to my husband. 160 00:10:30,380 --> 00:10:33,120 So she called his name Issachar. 161 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,120 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth child. 162 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,720 And Leah said God has endowed me with a good endowment. 163 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,700 Now my husband will dwell with me because I have borne him six sons. 164 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:47,540 So she called his name Zebulun. 165 00:10:47,540 --> 00:10:50,640 After she bore a daughter and called her name Dina. 166 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,680 Then God remembered Rachel and God listened to her and opened her womb. 167 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:58,800 And she conceived and bore a son and said God has taken away my reproach. 168 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:04,280 So she called his name Joseph and said the Lord shall add to me another son. 169 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:09,560 And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph that Jacob said to Laban send me away 170 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:12,760 that I may go to my own place and to my country. 171 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:17,460 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you and let me go for you know 172 00:11:17,460 --> 00:11:20,080 my service which I have done for you. 173 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,740 And Laban said to him please stay if I have found favor in your eyes for I have learned 174 00:11:24,740 --> 00:11:28,200 by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake. 175 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,840 Then he said name me your wages and I will give it. 176 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:37,360 So Jacob said to him you know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 177 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:42,320 For what you had before I came was little and it has increased to a great amount. 178 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:48,000 The Lord has blessed you since my coming and now when shall I also provide for my own house. 179 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,960 So he said what shall I give you and Jacob said you shall not give me anything. 180 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:57,300 If you will do this thing for me I will again feed and keep your flocks. 181 00:11:57,300 --> 00:12:03,240 Let me pass through all your flock today removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep 182 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,440 and all the brown ones among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats 183 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,640 and these shall be my wages. 184 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:14,360 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come when the subject of my wages 185 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,160 comes before you. 186 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:20,040 Everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and brown among the lambs 187 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,880 will be considered stolen if it is with me. 188 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,240 And Laban said ohm that it were according to your word. 189 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:31,160 So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female 190 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:36,000 goats that were speckled and spotted, everyone that had some white in it and all the brown 191 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000 ones among the lambs and gave them into the hand of his sons. 192 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,920 Then he put three days journey between himself and Jacob and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's 193 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:45,920 flocks. 194 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:51,600 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled 195 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:56,100 white stripes in them and exposed the white which was in the rods. 196 00:12:56,100 --> 00:13:00,520 In the rods which he had peeled he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering 197 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,880 troughs where the flocks came to drink so that they should conceive when they came to 198 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,100 drink. 199 00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:10,960 So the flocks conceived before the rods and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled 200 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:12,240 and spotted. 201 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:16,400 Then Jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the 202 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,740 brown in the flock of Laban. 203 00:13:18,740 --> 00:13:23,520 But he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban's flock. 204 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:27,680 And it came to pass whenever the stronger livestock conceived that Jacob placed the 205 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:31,720 rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters that they might conceive among the 206 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:32,720 rods. 207 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,600 But when the flocks were feeble he did not put them in. 208 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:40,000 So the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. 209 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:45,680 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous and had large flocks, female and male servants 210 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:52,080 and camels and donkeys. 211 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,720 I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did and I look forward to seeing you 212 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,040 again tomorrow to continue on our journey. 213 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:24,280 God bless you and have a great day.