This episode explores Genesis 37, focusing on life transitions within Jacob’s family: Joseph’s favored status, his prophetic dreams, and his brothers’ betrayal leading to his sale into Egypt.

The speaker weaves traditional and rabbinic perspectives—reexamining the meaning of Joseph’s coat, Reuben’s role, and the Midianite/Ishmaelite transport—while highlighting God’s sovereignty and the invitation to dig deeper into scripture.

This episode walks through Genesis 35, where God calls Jacob back to Bethel. Jacob purges household idols, builds an altar, and is renamed Israel — marking a turning point for him and the people God is forming.

The episode also covers Rachel's painful childbirth and death as she names Benjamin, Reuben's grave sin with Bilhah, Isaac's death and burial, and Esau's move to Edom. Through these stories the host emphasizes human failure alongside God's persistent faithfulness and purpose.

This episode explores the historical and theological links between Hanukkah and Christmas, tracing Hanukkah's origin in the Maccabean revolt, the Temple rededication, and the Talmudic miracle story, and connects these themes to the incarnation of Jesus as described in John 10 and the liturgical placement of Christmas within the church calendar.

It highlights how early Christians tied the winter celebration to themes of dedication, the eight-day structure paralleling Jewish festivals, and the development of Advent and Epiphany in the Christian year, offering a richer understanding of both traditions.

Genesis 32 & 33

Title: Jacob and Labana

Scripture: Genesis 29:1-35

Speaker: Dr. H. Bruce Stokes

Date: November 9, 2025

This episode studies Genesis 29: Jacob meets Rachel at the well, serves seven years for her, and is deceived by Laban into marrying Leah first. It traces the family dynamics, Laban's treachery, and how God opens Leah's womb while Rachel remains barren.