November 16, 2025 • 24 mins
# 30 - Twins of Promise: Jacob & Esau - In this episode of The Chosen People, Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau, two brothers whose rivalry will shape the future of nations. This episode explores the themes of divine prophecy, struggle, and how God’s plans unfold through both conflict and promise.
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Episode 30 of The Chosen People is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Psalm 135:4, “For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Can you count the stars Abram.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Abram shook his head uncertain.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
You cannot, for there are too many. It is impossible.
It is to be the same with your offspring. The
great nation I shall make through your air would be
as innumerable as the stars in the night sky.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I would have you seek out a wife for Isaac
from the land of my family in Haram.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
He is ready, Master.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
He will make a fine husband, just as he will
bear his inheritance well.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
For two weeks, Eliezer had pondered how to fulfill his task.
Now standing at Heron's well, he devised a test. He
closed his eyes and prayed silently to the God of Abram.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
God, must High God of my master Abram, make this
happen for me today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
As he opened his eyes, a young woman approached her
water junk, balanced gracefully on her shoulder.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Please, my Lord, allow me to serve you.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Rebecca ran home and promised to send someone back to
meet them and escort them to her house.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Let her be the woman that God Almighty has appointed
for my master's son.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Rebecca's heart soared in anticipation, Eliezer.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Who is that in the field coming out to meet us?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
That, my lady is Master Isaac. Rebecca blushed and grinned
like a fool.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
My lord, I have traveled a long way to meet you.
I am honored to become your wife.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Oh no, no, Rebecca, it is I who am honored.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
Ah ah, this thrashing about.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I can't take much more of this. These babies will
tear themselves from my womb before I can get them out.
Speaker 6 (02:10):
Oh I know, my lady, you will soon be in
your labors in earnest, and we will bring them outside
of you. Then you can rest.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
But then what violence will I have unleashed unto the world?
Speaker 6 (02:24):
Now, my lady, do not be so dramatic. They are
only babes. They are just eager to be in the
world with us.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Rebecca groaned and then doubled over, gripping one of the
poles of the tent as another contraction raged through her body.
Real or false, she was not sure. The savage fighting
of the two children in her womb had led her
to cry out for the midwives twice before, only for
her to be told it was not time for them yet.
(02:53):
Just breathe and walk about they had told her. She
wanted to throttle them. No one understood the severity of
the war being fought within her. What frustrated her further
was that they would not confirm that it was twins.
They said they could not say for certain, so they
did not want to say at all. But what else
could all this commotion be? Surely one babe was not
(03:16):
at war with itself. It had to be two of them,
Rebecca felt sure, and the oracle she had sought had
proved it as well. She had not shared what she
had learned with anyone. She was still not sure what
to make of it herself. What she had thought might
be a contraction began to subside, but that only seemed
to spur the warring babes within to wage a fresh assault.
(03:39):
They kicked and struck from within her, causing her to
WinCE in pain. As she straightened, she clutched her side,
and Deborah, her maid, gave her a helpless look that
came to assist her in getting back to her bedroom.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
How long ago was the last one?
Speaker 6 (03:57):
If another one comes soon, my lady for the midwife,
I fear she won't have anything new to tell you.
If we call her too soon.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Rebecca exhaled sharply again as a limb jabbed her in
the side. Her retaliation came from the opposite corner. Half
a heartbeat later, Isaac timidly poked his head into her tent.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Are you well, my love?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Is it time yet? Should I send for the midwife?
Speaker 6 (04:23):
Master Isaac, I tell you the same as I told
your wife. It is not time yet. Now you should
not be in here. This is a woman's domain.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Thank you, my husband, for inquiring. But no, I am
not well. I will not be well until I have
delivered the boys.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I hate this feeling.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I wish there was something to be done.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I want to help Rebecca, I really do. You're sweet, dear,
but your words offer a little comfort.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Rebecca smiled weakly at Isaac. There was nothing to be done.
Kinds would indeed come when they were ready. But this
was Isaac's way. He loved her. That was undeniable, as
undeniable as his faith in the God of his father.
His father told him to believe, and so he did. Yes,
he was a man of great faith, but also profound simplicity.
(05:19):
Rebecca was so touched and grateful that he had gone
to their God on her behalf and simply asked to conceive.
She gathered that Abraham had never done that. When he
and his wife could not conceive, they waited and waited,
which had merits in and of itself, but Isaac had
simply gone and asked. In that regard, Rebecca and her
(05:39):
husband were much alike. Rebecca rarely denied herself anything, but
outside of that, they could not be any more different.
Just then, a powerful contraction racked her body. Eyes wide,
she stared daggers at Deborah for minimizing her pain. Only
moments ago. Rebecca knew that it was a real contraction,
(06:01):
but she only glared because she found that speech was
no longer accessible to her through the agonizing pain.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
What's wrong?
Speaker 6 (06:09):
What do I need to do? That's another contraction? The
labor has begun in earnest. Now, Master Isaac, go fetch
the midwife. I'll stay with my lady.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Rebecca found her lungs at the lasted and scooned out.
As the contraction continued, Deborah had her lean back on
the bed roll and grasped her hand tightly. The woman was,
in truth, more of a mother to Rebecca than her
own had ever been. Rebecca had often been praised for
being bold enough to leave the house of her father
and follow Abraham's servant through the desert to marry Isaac
(06:41):
and join his family. Still, Rebecca knew that perhaps she
had been so bold because she knew she would have
a faithful companion in Deborah by her side, as she
had been her own caregiver. She knew the woman would
become like a grandmother to her own children. The woman
vexed her sometimes, but she could not deny the love
she felt, for she knew her twins would come to
(07:03):
feel the same. Someday.
Speaker 6 (07:05):
My lady, can you speak now?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Rebecca gave her a stiff nod. Deborah, in turn, gave
her a questioning look, yes.
Speaker 6 (07:15):
Talk to me, my lady, until the next contraction or
the midwife comes. It will take your mind away from here.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
What should I speak of?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
Tell me how you learned you were pregnant, my lady.
Also tell me how long you waited to become so
Remind yourself of the answered prayer.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I was thought to be barren for so long, for
over two decades, I wondered if I would ever know
what it would be like to bear children. I wondered
if Isaac had been right to choose me, if his
God had been right to choose.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Me, I remember it well, my lady. But you didn't
give up.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
No. I finally asked Isaac to advocate for me and
to go to his God, as we would have done
with the old gods from back home.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
But this one answered, didn't he, my lady, He did,
and he became my god that day, the day I
learned I was with child, I was so happy that
my decades of silence were finally over.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Oh but even now I am reminded with every kick
that my years of solitude and peace are behind me.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
Oh, my lady, you are right about that. And no
more silence, no more sleep, the peace of mind you
head will be replaced with the constant and incessant wailings
of babes. But take heart, it's worth all the struggle,
I promise.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Isaac found the midwife and hurried her along to the
entrance of his wife tent, the tent that had also
been his mother's, the tent of the mistress of his household.
As soon as the midwife opened the flap of the tent,
Rebecca's screams hit him like a slap in the face.
He could not enter, and he could not just stand
there and do nothing at all. He had to go
(09:17):
find something to do. He took off with renewed purpose.
Eventually he spied an axe leaning against a pile of
wood gathered from the sparse wilderness. He picked up the
axe in one of his large rough hands and lifted
the first gnarled branch from the pile with the other.
He dragged it over to the clearing and said, to
his task of breaking it down, ast Isaac, I understand,
(09:39):
lady Rebecca has begun her labor. Isaac was startled and
looked up to see Elieza and his father standing before him.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
My son, this will be a day you remember forever.
It was the same for me the day why Sarah
boy you for me?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Thank you father, Thank you Eliezer.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
You are quiet, master Isaac, I confess I am surprised
to see you so reserved on to day of all days.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Would you like to join us as we walk?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Come, Eliezer, we should leave Isaac to his task. My son,
I will leave you to save the day ahead. When
Rebecca bears your heir, we will celebrate. Even now, Eliezer
and I are seeing to the preparations.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Thank you, father, Isaac nodded respectfully to his father, as
Abraham and his faithful servant took their leave mercifully. Rebecca's
tent was too far away for him to hear her screaming,
but he did hear the whimpering of another babe crying
somewhere nearby. To think, in a few short hours, Isaac
(11:00):
could be hearing the sound of his own child. His
stomach nodded in anticipation, and he again took up the
axe and resumed his task, losing himself in his thoughts
as his father knew he would. The crying child could
belong to anyone, but most likely it was one of
his half siblings or nieces or nephews. The camp was
(11:21):
practically crawling with Abraham's many children and now their children's
children from his second wife, Father of multitudes. Indeed, for
a long time, he could not understand why he and
Rebecca could not conceive. He felt like he was simultaneously
failing her and failing to live up to his father's legacy.
Isaac tried not to think of it at all. He
(11:43):
placed the failure far away from his mind and into
an unreachable place that way, he could work hard, lead
his family, and offer all a smile or joke, as
he so often did. Rebecca was so different from himself.
She was passionate and okah wants and desires in a
way that Isaac never could. It was not that Isaac
(12:05):
did not have a rich in a world. He loved
to appreciate a good joke and be at ease with
those he loved, but he also longed for the quiet
walks on his property where he would commune with his God,
hoping to be half the leader his father was. He
followed his father's ways, the way of God most High,
and that was that he didn't question, or bargain or
(12:28):
wrestle the way Rebecca did. She had embraced his family
and their culture with the strength that Isaac wasn't sure
he would have been able to do if their roles
had been reversed. But he also knew that her adoption
of his God came slowly. He didn't see the understanding
in her eyes until she finally received a miracle of
her own. Isaac smiled at the memory of that, and
(12:52):
then he recalled the day that had said it all
in motion. She came to him in pain and anguish,
and finally at her wits end and of two decades
of being unable to conceive. In response, Isaac did the
only thing he could think of. He asked God, it
had been so simple. How had he not.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Thought to ask before?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
It had taken Rebecca's boldness to push him to action,
And he was so grateful that he did act, and
he would be all over again if it all went
well with Rebecca's labor. Isaac realized he had come to
the end of the pile of wood, axe lifted high
above his head, ready to strike at nothing. He laughed
to himself as he lowered the axe and returned it
(13:36):
to where he had found it. Isaac then wandered off
to seek out another task to take his mind away
from whatever was happening with Rebecca on her birthing bed
in her tent.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
Breathe, my lady, breathe through it. It's not time to push.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Yet, Rebeccah screamed in the midwife's face.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Ah, how could it not be time to push yet?
I feel like I'm either going to bring this baby
into the world or believe myself right here on the floor.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Deborah squeezed her hand in a comforting but also slightly
chastising way. Rebecca ignored the urge to scream at her
as well. Another contraction ripped through her body, though, rendering
her speechless until it passed.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Ah, why is this happening to me? Oh? There, there,
It is not happening to you, my lady. It is
just happening. The pain of birth has been the way
of women since the ancient garden.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Just keep breathing, The words slipped from her mouth before
she realized the exact phrase had led her to seek
a diviner to ask that question. When she started showing
and she first began to feel what she initially thought
was one babe within her, it quickly intensified to the
point where she grew desperate enough to seek answers. Deborah
(15:08):
had gone with her, of course, but no one seemed
to understand the struggle happening inside her womb. She may
have never carried a baby before, but every instinct told
her this was abnormal. She didn't tell Isaac that she
was seeking an oracle from a prophet. She knew he
would disapprove of her returning to the ways of her people,
but she was concerned that something was wrong. She was scared,
(15:31):
and she wanted to learn more before risking disappointing him.
She could not bear the idea of seeing that joy,
that wide, creased smile of his that she loved, fall
from his face. If she knew more, perhaps she could
figure out what to do next. So Deborah had found
the diviner and they went. The man had sought whatever
deity he communed with, but she could sense that something
(15:54):
was off. When he delivered the first message, it had
a ring of falseness to it. But then the strangest
thing happened. That same overwhelming sense of peace and presence
that she had felt as a child when she drew
the water for the camels, and again when she knew
it was safe to go with Eliezza, came upon her.
The diviner gave her a second oracle. This time she
(16:17):
knew it was true.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Two nations are in your own. Two people will come
from you and be separated. One people will be stronger
than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Another contraction writ through her lower abdomen, and the pressure
of it all disrupted her memory and brought her back
to her birthing bed.
Speaker 6 (16:42):
It's time, my lady, It's time to start pushing. You're
almost there. They will be here soon. Come, let's breathe
together a good now, push me.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
The first tiny peal of a cry came from the
first born as Rebecca panted with exhaustion, but she knew
she was not done yet.
Speaker 6 (17:11):
My lady, you need to push again. There is another
babe in your ball. I know there is one more. Push.
He's right there. And look, you're first born. You can
hold them both soon. But you're not done yet.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Breathe, push, Rebecca bellows. The second twin finally emerged from
her wound, she collapsed back in exhaustion. Deborah brought the
first infant to all and placed him on her chest.
Delirious with exhaustion, Rebecca frowned at the tiny babe. He
was a dull, blotchy red, and covered with hair like
(17:48):
a fur coat, like an animal. Did all babes look
this way when they first emerged? She had seen countless infants,
but never once so recently birthed.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
But no.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
The midwife now approached with the second and he appeared
as he.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Should, another boy, My lady, congratulations.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Rebecca stretched her arm out for the second child and
drew him to her breast. Her heart felt as if
it would burst. The euphoria of emotions swelled inside her body,
the pain of just moments ago forgotten.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Her world narrowed.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
To the babies in her arms. They were hers, She
did it, and now they were here. She hadn't noticed
tears streaming down her face, or even that Isaac now
stood beside her, bathing her in the glow of his
face splitting smile. She blinked and was brought back to reality.
(18:45):
He gently placed his arms around all three of them
and gazed down at them with admiration and awe in
his eyes. Rebecca could have wondered at his joy all
day that something was nagging in the back of her mind,
some question she had the birth had been a blood.
Then her mind sharpened, piercing the post birth haze, and
(19:08):
she remembered.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
What was it you were saying before a second.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Twin was born?
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (19:16):
It was his hand, my lady. He was grasping the
heel of the first.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
What but how is that normal with twins?
Speaker 6 (19:28):
His little fist grasped the first seal with such force
I thought he should pull him back inside you.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Is that true? Whatever could that mean?
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Surely that is some sign of the future.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Deborah caught Rebecca's eye in question. Rebecca shook her head.
Not here, not now, But she could not help but
think of the oracle.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Lee older will serve the younger.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
This babe, beside his redd and Haad brother, would surely
grow to do incredible things one day, Master.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Mistress, what will you name them?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Well, the first born has been born with such an
unusual color.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
It will fad Master Isaac.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Yes, but perhaps we should mark its significance in his name.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Perhaps it's a sign as well. We should name him Esau.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Why well, the name borrows for.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
The words red and Harry.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
That's very clever, Isaac.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
He will grow into it.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
But this will help us remember how my boy's great
legacy began.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Now, what of the second born, Rebecca, what do you think?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Rebecca took a moment to think. She could not help
but think of the ominous prophecy about the babe in
her arms. He came out fighting, but surely his life
would be a battle until he finally achieved whatever formidable
legacy was his own. He would need protecting if he
was to succeed. She intended to be there to help
(21:11):
shape it and he would require the protection of their
God too.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Let's call him Jacob.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Heel Grabber. Are you sure well?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
I suppose it's fitting.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
The name has many meanings. May God protect heal Grabber.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
In the back of her mind, Rebecca knew the other
meaning of the name, trickster Usurber. Even now, seeds of
a plan to reverse the roles of her two sons
were in motion. Thus Jacob became Rachel's precious child before
Esau even had a chance to latch onto her breast.
He was the second son in her eyes.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Ah, It's settled Esau and Jacob.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
The years passed, and as then aiming would inform, Esau
became his father's joy and Jacob his mother's. The midwife
was right. Esau's red coloring faded, but the hare remained.
He was large and short of words, like his father,
but he was more bare than man, as the hare
would suggest. He would spend days in the wild and
(22:20):
come back with an elusive game that proved his skill
as a hunter. Even as a boy, his outdoorsmanship was
far beyond the other boys his age. Esau would proudly
trek his kills through camp and cook and serve them
to his delighted father. With every meal, he cemented the
love and favor of his father. Jacob, on the other hand,
(22:41):
had a more robust in a world she could see
it turning in his mind. Even from a young age,
he kept to camp mostly and by design by his
mother's side. Jacob had a cunning and quickness to him
that his brother woefully lacked. He saw everything and understood
things far beyond his years. He didn't always let on
(23:03):
that he was observing and learning, but his mother recognized
the same quiet cleverness that she possessed, and as her
husband had chosen a favorite child, she chose Jacob. This
Prey dot com production is only made possible by our
(23:24):
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Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The
Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald,
Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky.
(23:49):
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Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Can you count the stars Abram.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Abram shook his head uncertain.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
You cannot, for there are too many. It is impossible.
It is to be the same with your offspring. The
great nation I shall make through your air would be
as innumerable as the stars in the night sky.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I would have you seek out a wife for Isaac
from the land of my family in Haram.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
He is ready, Master.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
He will make a fine husband, just as he will
bear his inheritance well.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
For two weeks, Eliezer had pondered how to fulfill his task.
Now standing at Heron's well, he devised a test. He
closed his eyes and prayed silently to the God of Abram.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
God, must High God of my master Abram, make this
happen for me today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
As he opened his eyes, a young woman approached her
water junk, balanced gracefully on her shoulder.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Please, my Lord, allow me to serve you.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Rebecca ran home and promised to send someone back to
meet them and escort them to her house.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Let her be the woman that God Almighty has appointed
for my master's son.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Rebecca's heart soared in anticipation, Eliezer.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Who is that in the field coming out to meet us?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
That, my lady is Master Isaac. Rebecca blushed and grinned
like a fool.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
My lord, I have traveled a long way to meet you.
I am honored to become your wife.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Oh no, no, Rebecca, it is I who am honored.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
Ah ah, this thrashing about.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I can't take much more of this. These babies will
tear themselves from my womb before I can get them out.
Speaker 6 (02:10):
Oh I know, my lady, you will soon be in
your labors in earnest, and we will bring them outside
of you. Then you can rest.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
But then what violence will I have unleashed unto the world?
Speaker 6 (02:24):
Now, my lady, do not be so dramatic. They are
only babes. They are just eager to be in the
world with us.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Rebecca groaned and then doubled over, gripping one of the
poles of the tent as another contraction raged through her body.
Real or false, she was not sure. The savage fighting
of the two children in her womb had led her
to cry out for the midwives twice before, only for
her to be told it was not time for them yet.
(02:53):
Just breathe and walk about they had told her. She
wanted to throttle them. No one understood the severity of
the war being fought within her. What frustrated her further
was that they would not confirm that it was twins.
They said they could not say for certain, so they
did not want to say at all. But what else
could all this commotion be? Surely one babe was not
(03:16):
at war with itself. It had to be two of them,
Rebecca felt sure, and the oracle she had sought had
proved it as well. She had not shared what she
had learned with anyone. She was still not sure what
to make of it herself. What she had thought might
be a contraction began to subside, but that only seemed
to spur the warring babes within to wage a fresh assault.
(03:39):
They kicked and struck from within her, causing her to
WinCE in pain. As she straightened, she clutched her side,
and Deborah, her maid, gave her a helpless look that
came to assist her in getting back to her bedroom.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
How long ago was the last one?
Speaker 6 (03:57):
If another one comes soon, my lady for the midwife,
I fear she won't have anything new to tell you.
If we call her too soon.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Rebecca exhaled sharply again as a limb jabbed her in
the side. Her retaliation came from the opposite corner. Half
a heartbeat later, Isaac timidly poked his head into her tent.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Are you well, my love?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Is it time yet? Should I send for the midwife?
Speaker 6 (04:23):
Master Isaac, I tell you the same as I told
your wife. It is not time yet. Now you should
not be in here. This is a woman's domain.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Thank you, my husband, for inquiring. But no, I am
not well. I will not be well until I have
delivered the boys.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I hate this feeling.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I wish there was something to be done.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I want to help Rebecca, I really do. You're sweet, dear,
but your words offer a little comfort.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Rebecca smiled weakly at Isaac. There was nothing to be done.
Kinds would indeed come when they were ready. But this
was Isaac's way. He loved her. That was undeniable, as
undeniable as his faith in the God of his father.
His father told him to believe, and so he did. Yes,
he was a man of great faith, but also profound simplicity.
(05:19):
Rebecca was so touched and grateful that he had gone
to their God on her behalf and simply asked to conceive.
She gathered that Abraham had never done that. When he
and his wife could not conceive, they waited and waited,
which had merits in and of itself, but Isaac had
simply gone and asked. In that regard, Rebecca and her
(05:39):
husband were much alike. Rebecca rarely denied herself anything, but
outside of that, they could not be any more different.
Just then, a powerful contraction racked her body. Eyes wide,
she stared daggers at Deborah for minimizing her pain. Only
moments ago. Rebecca knew that it was a real contraction,
(06:01):
but she only glared because she found that speech was
no longer accessible to her through the agonizing pain.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
What's wrong?
Speaker 6 (06:09):
What do I need to do? That's another contraction? The
labor has begun in earnest. Now, Master Isaac, go fetch
the midwife. I'll stay with my lady.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Rebecca found her lungs at the lasted and scooned out.
As the contraction continued, Deborah had her lean back on
the bed roll and grasped her hand tightly. The woman was,
in truth, more of a mother to Rebecca than her
own had ever been. Rebecca had often been praised for
being bold enough to leave the house of her father
and follow Abraham's servant through the desert to marry Isaac
(06:41):
and join his family. Still, Rebecca knew that perhaps she
had been so bold because she knew she would have
a faithful companion in Deborah by her side, as she
had been her own caregiver. She knew the woman would
become like a grandmother to her own children. The woman
vexed her sometimes, but she could not deny the love
she felt, for she knew her twins would come to
(07:03):
feel the same. Someday.
Speaker 6 (07:05):
My lady, can you speak now?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Rebecca gave her a stiff nod. Deborah, in turn, gave
her a questioning look, yes.
Speaker 6 (07:15):
Talk to me, my lady, until the next contraction or
the midwife comes. It will take your mind away from here.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
What should I speak of?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
Tell me how you learned you were pregnant, my lady.
Also tell me how long you waited to become so
Remind yourself of the answered prayer.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I was thought to be barren for so long, for
over two decades, I wondered if I would ever know
what it would be like to bear children. I wondered
if Isaac had been right to choose me, if his
God had been right to choose.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Me, I remember it well, my lady. But you didn't
give up.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
No. I finally asked Isaac to advocate for me and
to go to his God, as we would have done
with the old gods from back home.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
But this one answered, didn't he, my lady, He did,
and he became my god that day, the day I
learned I was with child, I was so happy that
my decades of silence were finally over.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Oh but even now I am reminded with every kick
that my years of solitude and peace are behind me.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
Oh, my lady, you are right about that. And no
more silence, no more sleep, the peace of mind you
head will be replaced with the constant and incessant wailings
of babes. But take heart, it's worth all the struggle,
I promise.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Isaac found the midwife and hurried her along to the
entrance of his wife tent, the tent that had also
been his mother's, the tent of the mistress of his household.
As soon as the midwife opened the flap of the tent,
Rebecca's screams hit him like a slap in the face.
He could not enter, and he could not just stand
there and do nothing at all. He had to go
(09:17):
find something to do. He took off with renewed purpose.
Eventually he spied an axe leaning against a pile of
wood gathered from the sparse wilderness. He picked up the
axe in one of his large rough hands and lifted
the first gnarled branch from the pile with the other.
He dragged it over to the clearing and said, to
his task of breaking it down, ast Isaac, I understand,
(09:39):
lady Rebecca has begun her labor. Isaac was startled and
looked up to see Elieza and his father standing before him.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
My son, this will be a day you remember forever.
It was the same for me the day why Sarah
boy you for me?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Thank you father, Thank you Eliezer.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
You are quiet, master Isaac, I confess I am surprised
to see you so reserved on to day of all days.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Would you like to join us as we walk?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Come, Eliezer, we should leave Isaac to his task. My son,
I will leave you to save the day ahead. When
Rebecca bears your heir, we will celebrate. Even now, Eliezer
and I are seeing to the preparations.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Thank you, father, Isaac nodded respectfully to his father, as
Abraham and his faithful servant took their leave mercifully. Rebecca's
tent was too far away for him to hear her screaming,
but he did hear the whimpering of another babe crying
somewhere nearby. To think, in a few short hours, Isaac
(11:00):
could be hearing the sound of his own child. His
stomach nodded in anticipation, and he again took up the
axe and resumed his task, losing himself in his thoughts
as his father knew he would. The crying child could
belong to anyone, but most likely it was one of
his half siblings or nieces or nephews. The camp was
(11:21):
practically crawling with Abraham's many children and now their children's
children from his second wife, Father of multitudes. Indeed, for
a long time, he could not understand why he and
Rebecca could not conceive. He felt like he was simultaneously
failing her and failing to live up to his father's legacy.
Isaac tried not to think of it at all. He
(11:43):
placed the failure far away from his mind and into
an unreachable place that way, he could work hard, lead
his family, and offer all a smile or joke, as
he so often did. Rebecca was so different from himself.
She was passionate and okah wants and desires in a
way that Isaac never could. It was not that Isaac
(12:05):
did not have a rich in a world. He loved
to appreciate a good joke and be at ease with
those he loved, but he also longed for the quiet
walks on his property where he would commune with his God,
hoping to be half the leader his father was. He
followed his father's ways, the way of God most High,
and that was that he didn't question, or bargain or
(12:28):
wrestle the way Rebecca did. She had embraced his family
and their culture with the strength that Isaac wasn't sure
he would have been able to do if their roles
had been reversed. But he also knew that her adoption
of his God came slowly. He didn't see the understanding
in her eyes until she finally received a miracle of
her own. Isaac smiled at the memory of that, and
(12:52):
then he recalled the day that had said it all
in motion. She came to him in pain and anguish,
and finally at her wits end and of two decades
of being unable to conceive. In response, Isaac did the
only thing he could think of. He asked God, it
had been so simple. How had he not.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Thought to ask before?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
It had taken Rebecca's boldness to push him to action,
And he was so grateful that he did act, and
he would be all over again if it all went
well with Rebecca's labor. Isaac realized he had come to
the end of the pile of wood, axe lifted high
above his head, ready to strike at nothing. He laughed
to himself as he lowered the axe and returned it
(13:36):
to where he had found it. Isaac then wandered off
to seek out another task to take his mind away
from whatever was happening with Rebecca on her birthing bed
in her tent.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
Breathe, my lady, breathe through it. It's not time to push.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Yet, Rebeccah screamed in the midwife's face.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Ah, how could it not be time to push yet?
I feel like I'm either going to bring this baby
into the world or believe myself right here on the floor.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Deborah squeezed her hand in a comforting but also slightly
chastising way. Rebecca ignored the urge to scream at her
as well. Another contraction ripped through her body, though, rendering
her speechless until it passed.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Ah, why is this happening to me? Oh? There, there,
It is not happening to you, my lady. It is
just happening. The pain of birth has been the way
of women since the ancient garden.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Just keep breathing, The words slipped from her mouth before
she realized the exact phrase had led her to seek
a diviner to ask that question. When she started showing
and she first began to feel what she initially thought
was one babe within her, it quickly intensified to the
point where she grew desperate enough to seek answers. Deborah
(15:08):
had gone with her, of course, but no one seemed
to understand the struggle happening inside her womb. She may
have never carried a baby before, but every instinct told
her this was abnormal. She didn't tell Isaac that she
was seeking an oracle from a prophet. She knew he
would disapprove of her returning to the ways of her people,
but she was concerned that something was wrong. She was scared,
(15:31):
and she wanted to learn more before risking disappointing him.
She could not bear the idea of seeing that joy,
that wide, creased smile of his that she loved, fall
from his face. If she knew more, perhaps she could
figure out what to do next. So Deborah had found
the diviner and they went. The man had sought whatever
deity he communed with, but she could sense that something
(15:54):
was off. When he delivered the first message, it had
a ring of falseness to it. But then the strangest
thing happened. That same overwhelming sense of peace and presence
that she had felt as a child when she drew
the water for the camels, and again when she knew
it was safe to go with Eliezza, came upon her.
The diviner gave her a second oracle. This time she
(16:17):
knew it was true.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Two nations are in your own. Two people will come
from you and be separated. One people will be stronger
than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Another contraction writ through her lower abdomen, and the pressure
of it all disrupted her memory and brought her back
to her birthing bed.
Speaker 6 (16:42):
It's time, my lady, It's time to start pushing. You're
almost there. They will be here soon. Come, let's breathe
together a good now, push me.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
The first tiny peal of a cry came from the
first born as Rebecca panted with exhaustion, but she knew
she was not done yet.
Speaker 6 (17:11):
My lady, you need to push again. There is another
babe in your ball. I know there is one more. Push.
He's right there. And look, you're first born. You can
hold them both soon. But you're not done yet.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Breathe, push, Rebecca bellows. The second twin finally emerged from
her wound, she collapsed back in exhaustion. Deborah brought the
first infant to all and placed him on her chest.
Delirious with exhaustion, Rebecca frowned at the tiny babe. He
was a dull, blotchy red, and covered with hair like
(17:48):
a fur coat, like an animal. Did all babes look
this way when they first emerged? She had seen countless infants,
but never once so recently birthed.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
But no.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
The midwife now approached with the second and he appeared
as he.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Should, another boy, My lady, congratulations.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Rebecca stretched her arm out for the second child and
drew him to her breast. Her heart felt as if
it would burst. The euphoria of emotions swelled inside her body,
the pain of just moments ago forgotten.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Her world narrowed.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
To the babies in her arms. They were hers, She
did it, and now they were here. She hadn't noticed
tears streaming down her face, or even that Isaac now
stood beside her, bathing her in the glow of his
face splitting smile. She blinked and was brought back to reality.
(18:45):
He gently placed his arms around all three of them
and gazed down at them with admiration and awe in
his eyes. Rebecca could have wondered at his joy all
day that something was nagging in the back of her mind,
some question she had the birth had been a blood.
Then her mind sharpened, piercing the post birth haze, and
(19:08):
she remembered.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
What was it you were saying before a second.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Twin was born?
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (19:16):
It was his hand, my lady. He was grasping the
heel of the first.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
What but how is that normal with twins?
Speaker 6 (19:28):
His little fist grasped the first seal with such force
I thought he should pull him back inside you.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Is that true? Whatever could that mean?
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Surely that is some sign of the future.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Deborah caught Rebecca's eye in question. Rebecca shook her head.
Not here, not now, But she could not help but
think of the oracle.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Lee older will serve the younger.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
This babe, beside his redd and Haad brother, would surely
grow to do incredible things one day, Master.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Mistress, what will you name them?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Well, the first born has been born with such an
unusual color.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
It will fad Master Isaac.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Yes, but perhaps we should mark its significance in his name.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Perhaps it's a sign as well. We should name him Esau.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Why well, the name borrows for.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
The words red and Harry.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
That's very clever, Isaac.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
He will grow into it.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
But this will help us remember how my boy's great
legacy began.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Now, what of the second born, Rebecca, what do you think?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Rebecca took a moment to think. She could not help
but think of the ominous prophecy about the babe in
her arms. He came out fighting, but surely his life
would be a battle until he finally achieved whatever formidable
legacy was his own. He would need protecting if he
was to succeed. She intended to be there to help
(21:11):
shape it and he would require the protection of their
God too.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Let's call him Jacob.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Heel Grabber. Are you sure well?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
I suppose it's fitting.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
The name has many meanings. May God protect heal Grabber.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
In the back of her mind, Rebecca knew the other
meaning of the name, trickster Usurber. Even now, seeds of
a plan to reverse the roles of her two sons
were in motion. Thus Jacob became Rachel's precious child before
Esau even had a chance to latch onto her breast.
He was the second son in her eyes.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Ah, It's settled Esau and Jacob.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
The years passed, and as then aiming would inform, Esau
became his father's joy and Jacob his mother's. The midwife
was right. Esau's red coloring faded, but the hare remained.
He was large and short of words, like his father,
but he was more bare than man, as the hare
would suggest. He would spend days in the wild and
(22:20):
come back with an elusive game that proved his skill
as a hunter. Even as a boy, his outdoorsmanship was
far beyond the other boys his age. Esau would proudly
trek his kills through camp and cook and serve them
to his delighted father. With every meal, he cemented the
love and favor of his father. Jacob, on the other hand,
(22:41):
had a more robust in a world she could see
it turning in his mind. Even from a young age,
he kept to camp mostly and by design by his
mother's side. Jacob had a cunning and quickness to him
that his brother woefully lacked. He saw everything and understood
things far beyond his years. He didn't always let on
(23:03):
that he was observing and learning, but his mother recognized
the same quiet cleverness that she possessed, and as her
husband had chosen a favorite child, she chose Jacob. This
Prey dot com production is only made possible by our
(23:24):
dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach
Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The
Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald,
Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky.
(23:49):
Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre
Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot
com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on
the Apple App Store and Google play Store. If you
enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.
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