Steve Webb 0:00 This is the good news that we should be shouting from the rooftops. Steve Webb 0:11 This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California and podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we'll read through the entire Bible in a year and the website is it Lifespring media.com. Today is the law Monday and we'll read Genesis 32 through 35. I'm calling the episode seeing the face of God. Before we read, let's pray. Our gracious heavenly father how we thank You, Lord for this time together. And I pray God that you would bless this time as we read your word. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, let's begin. Steve Webb 0:51 Genesis chapter 32. Jacob went on his way in God's angels met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's camp. So he gave the place the name Man am, Jacob sent men to carry news before him to his brother Esau in the land of sear the country of Edom. He told them, say this to my Lord II saw your servant Jacob says, I have been living with Laban and stayed there until now. I have cattle and donkeys and flocks and men and women servants. And I've sent to tell my lord hoping to find favor in your eyes. The men that carried the news returned to Jacob and said, We came to your brother Esau, he is coming to meet you and 400 men are with him. Then Jacob was afraid and troubled. He divided the people who are with him and the flocks and cattle and camels into two groups. For he said, if he saw comes to the one group and destroys it, then the other group will get away. Then Jacob said, oh god of my father Abraham and God of my father, Isaac, oh Lord, who said to me, return to your country and to those of your family, and I will bring good to you. I have not earned any of the loving kindness and faith which you have shown to your servant, for I had crossed this Jordan with only my walkingstick. And now I have become to large groups. Save me I pray from the hand of my brother, from the power of Esau, for I am afraid of him. I am afraid he will come and kill us all the mothers with the children. But you said I will bring good to you. I will make your children like the sand of the sea. There will be too many to number. So Jacob stayed there that night. Then he chose a gift from what he had for his brother Esau 200 Female goats 20 male goats 200 female sheep 20, rams, 30 milk camels and their young ones, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 Male donkeys. He put them into the care of his servants, every group of animals by itself. Then he said to his servants go in front of me and keep the groups of animals apart. He told the one in front, when my brother Esau meets you and asks, To whom do you belong? And where are you going, and who owns these animals in front of you. Then you say these belong to your servant Jacob. It is the gift sent to my Lord Esau, and he is coming behind us. He also told the second and the third and all those who followed the animals. This is what you are to say to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say your servant Jacob is coming behind us. For he said, I will take away his anger with the gift that goes in front of me. Then when I meet him he might receive me. So the gift went in front of him while he stayed that night in the tent. But he got up that same night and crossed the Jabbok river with his two wives, the two women who served him and his 11 children. He took them and sent them to the other side of the river with all that he had. Then Jacob was left alone. And the man fought with him until morning. When the man saw that he was not winning. He touched the joint of Jacob's thigh. And Jacob's thigh was put out of joint while he fought with him. The man said, let me go for the morning has come. But Jacob said, I will not let you go unless you pray that good will come to me. The man asked him, What is your name? He said, Jacob. And the man said, your name will no longer be Jacob But Israel, for you have fought with God and with men. And if one Then Jacob asked him, tell me what is your name? But he said, Why is it that you asked my name in there he prayed that God would come to Jacob. So Jacob gave the place the name of Peniel for he said, I have seen God face to face and yet I am still alive. The sun rose upon him as he passed through Peniel it was hard to walk on his leg. So to this day, the sons of Israel do not eat the meat from inside the joint of the thigh because As he touched this part of the joint on Jacob's leg. Steve Webb 5:03 Genesis chapter 33. Then Jacob looked up and saw He saw coming with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two women who served him. He put the women who served him and their children in front, and Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. Then Jacob went before them. He bowed to the ground seven times until he came near his brother. But he saw ran to meet him and put his arms around him and kissed him. And they cried. Then he saw looked up and saw the women and the children, he said, Who are these with you? Jacob said, there are the children whom God in His loving favor has given your servant. Then the women who served Jacob came near with their children, and they bowed to the ground. Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed to the ground. Then Joseph and Rachel came near and bowed to the ground. Esau said, What do you mean by all these animals I've met, and Jacob said, they are a gift. So I may find favor in the eyes of the Lord. But he saw said, I have enough my brother, keep what you have for yourself. But Jacob said, No, I ask of you. If I have found favor in your eyes, then receive my gift. For I see your face as one sees the face of God, you have received me with favor, take my gift that has been brought for you, for God has shown loving kindness to me, and I have all I need. So he begged him until he took it. Then Esau said, Let us be on our way, I will go with you. But Jacob said to him, My Lord knows that the children are weak, and there are young ones in my flocks that need milk. If they're made to go a long way, in one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord go in front of his servant, and I will be slow in coming to my Lord at seer. I will go as fast as the cattle in front of me and as the children are able, so Esau said, Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me. But Jacob said, What need is there? Let me find favor in the eyes of my Lord. So he saw returned that day on his way to see her. But Jacob traveled to soccer. He built his house there and put up small buildings for his animals. So the name of the place is soccer. Now Jacob came in peace from pattern Arum to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he put up his tents near the city. He bought the piece of land where he had put up his tents for 100 pieces of money from the sons of hay, more chickens father, he built an altar there and gave it the name L L. O, hey, Israel. Steve Webb 7:36 Genesis chapter 34. Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bought to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. Check them the son of hay more the high vite the prince of the land, saw her. He took her lay with her and humbled her. His soul joined to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady and spoke kindly to the young lady Shechem spoke to his father, he more is saying, get me this young lady is the wife. Now Jacob heard that he had to file Dinah his daughter, and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came, hey, more, the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him. The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved. And they were very angry because he had done falling in Israel in line with Jacob's daughter of thing ought not to be done. Hey, more, talked with them saying, the soul of my son check and longs for your daughter, please give him to her as a wife, make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you live and trade in it and get possessions in it. Check him said to her father and to her brothers. Let me find favor in your eyes and whatever you will tell me I will give asked me a great amount for a dowry and I will give whatever you ask of me. But give me the young lady as a wife. The sons of Jacob answered check him and him or his father with deceit and spoke because he had to file Dinah their sister and said to them, we can't do this thing to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised. For that as a reproach to us. Only on this condition will we consent to you, if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised, then we will give our daughters to you and we will take your daughters to us and we will dwell with you and we will become one people. But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and we will be gone. Their words please pay more and check them Hey, more son. The young man didn't wait to do this thing because he had delight in Jacob's daughter and he was ordered above all the house of his father. Hey more and check him his son came to the gate of their city and talked with the men of their city saying these men are peaceful with us. Therefore Let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised, want their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours. Only let us give our consent to them and they will dwell with us. All who went out of the gate of his city listened to him more and to check him his son, and every male were circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. On the third day when they were sore, two of Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword came upon the unsuspecting city and killed all the males. They killed him or in check him his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Chekhov's house and went away. Jacob's sons came on the dead and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took his plunder everything that was in the house, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, you have troubled me to make me odious to the inhabitants of this land, among the Canaanites and the parasites, I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and strike me and I will be destroyed I and my house, they said, should he deal with our sister as a prostitute? Steve Webb 11:36 Genesis chapter 35. God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and live there. Make their an altar to God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother, Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments, let us arise and go up to Bethel. I will make their an altar to God who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went, they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak, which was by Shechem, they traveled in a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn't pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to LA's that is Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who are with him. He built an altar there and called the place el Bethel, because their god was revealed to him when he fled from the face of his brother, Deborah Rebecca's nurse died, and she was buried below Bethel under the yoke. And its name was called Allen backworth. God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from pattern Aram and blessed him. God said to him, your name is Jacob, your name shall not be Jacob anymore, but your name will be Israel. He named him Israel. God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you and to your offspring after you I will give the land God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him a pillar of stone, he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel. They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to F RAF and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, don't be afraid. For now you will have another son, as her soul was departing for she died. She named him Ben oni, but his father named him Benjamin. Rachel died and was buried on the way to F wrath also called Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day, Israel traveled and spread his tent beyond the tower of eater. While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were 12 the sons of Leah Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun, the sons of Rachel Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel servant, Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servants, Gad and Asher these are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in pattern era. Jacob came to Isaac his father to mammary to carry off Arbor, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac lived his forerunners. The days of Isaac were 180 years, Isaac gave up The spirit in died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. Steve Webb 15:09 Well, Jacob is again the main character in today's reading. I'm sure you remember what we've already learned about him the kind of man he was. Do you remember the meaning of his name? Right, deceiver supplants her. He was a liar, a manipulator, a con man. He was the younger brother of twin sons. Esau was his older brother, but he conned the rights of the firstborn from Esau. Then he called their father Isaac's blessing away from Esau. It's no wonder that Jacob was afraid to meet he saw that his army of 400 men, he figured Esau was going to kill him. But of course, that isn't what happened. When they met, Jacob bowed to the ground seven times and Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they both wept. And then a little later, after Esau told Jacob that he didn't need the gifts that Jacob wanted to give him, Jacob says, No, if I found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It's like seeing the face of God. Now, if you were I said that we'd be saying it mostly is hyperbole, because I know I've not yet seen God's face and I'm guessing you haven't either. But Jacob had seen God's face just the night before. Jacob actually wrestled with God. And he said, I have seen God face to face yet my life has been spared. And what a Jacob see in God's face, beloved, he saw forgiveness. He saw love. Despite his past sins, God blessed Jacob there in that place that Jacob called penneo. And so when he received forgiveness and love from his older brother Esau, and he looked at Esau as tear stained face, it truly was like seeing the face of God. Beloved, Luke 15 Seven tells us that there is joy in heaven over one last sinner who repents and returns to God. It's in God's character to forgive, it's not the exception. This is the good news that we should be shouting from the rooftops. God wants to forgive the sinner if he or she will only turn from their sins and ask Jesus to forgive them and become their Savior and their Lord. Young or old, rich or poor. Jesus will meet you where you are. As Esau ran to meet Jacob, Jesus will run to meet you. It truly is the good news. Let me know what you think. Call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511 Or go to comment dot Lifespring media.com. And you can even email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Tomorrow is history Tuesday, and we'll read judges 17 through 21. Steve Webb 17:50 I want to take a moment to thank...no as a matter of fact, I am taking a moment right now to thank each of you who support the show with your time, your talent or your treasure. First, it's a real encouragement to me to keep going but most of all, you make it possible for me to continue. I can't do it without your help. And like Paul said in Philippians 1:3-5 five, "I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now." Beloved, you truly are appreciated. If the Lifespring family Audio Bible is an important part of your day go to lifespringmedia.com/support, take a look around there, see what makes sense to you. There are several ways you can give. I'll thank you and when you give you're helping to spread the Good News of a risen Christ. Steve Webb 19:00 December 1 Is this Thursday. That's when I'll start sharing the Christmas questions that people have sent in. And if you haven't send in your question or questions yet, now's the time to do it. I'll be giving away a free signed copy of webs easy Bible names Pronunciation Guide to one lucky winner whose name I will draw on December 25. So send your question to me and Steve at Lifespring media.com and use the subject line Christmas questions. I'll be doing one question today from December 1 to December 25th. And there's still some spots left so send your question in right away. Steve Webb 19:46 And now unitl tomorrow may God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me into your day. My name is Steve Webb. Bye. Lifespring media bringing the message Have hope love and good news since 2004. Transcribed by https://otter.ai