{"id":280568,"date":"2023-04-17T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T13:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T14:38:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T18:38:42","slug":"the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce\/","title":{"rendered":"The Seed of the Woman: Nana Dolce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Stories pointing to Jesus don&#8217;t start in the New Testament. Nana Dolce, author of Seed of the Woman, opens up Old Testament women&#8217;s lives with truths that shape us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stories pointing to Jesus don&#8217;t start in the New Testament. Nana Dolce, author of Seed of the Woman, opens up Old Testament women&#8217;s lives with truths that shape us. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about Nana Dolce on her website, nanadolce.org And gra&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280866,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/6cd0e807-580d-4ce0-b203-b154011f4466\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:29:21","filesize":"26.91M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2023-04-17 09:15:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2350],"podcast_series":[8622],"cwp_profile":[9843],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-280568","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-kw-1-seed-of-the-woman-kw-2-stories-that-point-to-jesus","podcast_series-the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce","cwp_profile-nana-dolce","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/04\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/280568\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/280568\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"kqLwBrjvzK\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce\/\">The Seed of the Woman: Nana Dolce<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce\/embed\/#?secret=kqLwBrjvzK\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;The Seed of the Woman: Nana Dolce&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"kqLwBrjvzK\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/04\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Stories pointing to Jesus don't start in the New Testament. Nana Dolce, author of Seed of the Woman, opens up Old Testament women's lives with truths that shape us. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about Nana Dolce on her website, nanadolce.org And gra...","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li>Learn more about Nana Dolce on her website, <a href=\"https:\/\/nanadolce.org\/\">nanadolce.org<\/a><\/li>\n<li>And grab her book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/the-seed-of-the-woman\/\">Seed of the Woman: 30 Narratives that Point to Jesus<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/?orderby=date\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<br \/>\nReferences to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>The Seed of the Woman<\/p>\n<p>Guest: Nana Dolce<br \/>\nFrom the series: The Seed of the Woman (Day 1 of 2)<br \/>\nAir date: April 17, 2023<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Okay, one of the biggest learning I remember from seminary [in] first year Old Testament Survey--<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, look at you remembering!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I\u2019m going way back. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve ever shared this with you! There was a lot of learning, but one of the takeaways for me anyway, was God always saves a remnant. No matter what happens historically, no matter what catastrophe is wiping out His promise of His seed coming all the way to Jesus, there will be a remnant. Today, we get to talk about not just men, but women\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Woo hoo!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014who are part of that remnant.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com or on the FamilyLife\u00ae app.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: This is FamilyLife<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Today!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We have a guest. Her name is Nana Dolce. First of all, Nana, welcome to FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: It\u2019s a joy and a pleasure to be with you both. Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And I noticed, by the way, when I was talking about the remnant, you were just nodding your head.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Because you know all about that. I mean, we\u2019re going to talk about your book, The Seed of the Woman, and really, as I read it, that\u2019s what I kept thinking. Here it is! Here it is again. God\u2019s seed and His plan going through. It\u2019s such a beautiful book about all the women who are part of that remnant.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It\u2019s also a pretty book, too.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Oh, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: The subtitle is Thirty Narratives that Point to Jesus, and each one of these is talking about a woman.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Exactly! Thirty narratives, beginning with Eve, and then ending with Mary.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Now, where\u2019d you get the idea to do that? You teach at RTS, Reformed Theological Seminary, and you\u2019re a teacher and a lecturer. Is this part of what you did as a lecture, or is this personal study?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: No. The genesis of this book\u2014I love to tell this story! No, it wasn\u2019t for RTS or for any kind of major ministry. It was just local church ministry. There were a few young women at my church. For two years, they came to my house and sat on my couch. We drank sweet tea. [Laughter] We ate food, and we would talk through the story of Scripture. I wanted to help them see the big narrative that the Bible is telling, and that the Old Testament is telling, and because these are young women, and we\u2019re interested in the stories of women, we used the narratives of women as our stopping point in seeing the bigger narrative of the Old Testament.<\/p>\n<p>We walked through it for two years. I saw the value of it for these young women in my local church and thought, \u201cMaybe this is something that would be helpful for women beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: What do you think impacted them the most?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I think seeing that you don\u2019t have to wait to get into the New Testament to see Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s surprising, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes! So, when Jesus says\u2014in Luke, there\u2019s a narrative there when there are two disciples on the road to Emmaus after He resurrects and He meets them, and it says, \u201cHe opened up the Scriptures to them and showed them that, beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, everything said about Him had to be fulfilled.\u201d So, according to Jesus Himself, all of Scripture points to Him; so, we don\u2019t have to wait to the New Testament to find Jesus. Even the narratives of women can help us to see Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Do you think people are surprised by that? That you can see that through women?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sometimes, I think we are. So, if you said, \u201cI can point you to the story of David,\u201d perhaps, points forward or David is a type of Christ or Moses is a type of Christ, I think people would say, \u201cYes, I can see that.\u201d But when it comes to the women, I think sometimes we look more at the ethical and moral things that they teach us. We want o be Ruth; we want to serve.<\/p>\n<p>All of those are good things. We don\u2019t throw those out, but if Jesus says all of these stories ultimately point to Him, that means that I can find Jesus in the story of Ruth as well.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, and you go deep. When I picked up your book\u2014and you start with Eve, you know?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I\u2019m reading it, and I thought, \u201cOh, there\u2019s going to be a couple sentences.\u201d No! You dig, and you just bring out so much truth. Great job! I mean, it\u2019s fascinating to read! I mean, I\u2019ve been to seminary; I\u2019ve been preaching for 30 years; and I\u2019m learning stuff on every page that I missed.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Thank you for that.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Which is really beautiful! Again, we can do 100 shows or even 30 shows, so, do you want to start with Eve?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes; let\u2019s start with Eve because there were some surprising things about Eve.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, yes. Eve doesn\u2019t come in as this second inferior. She comes in as God\u2019s answer for the \u201cnot good\u201d pronouncement of the man being alone. She\u2019s welcomed into the Garden, and there\u2019s this beautiful scene of the two together, naked and not ashamed. But then, the chapter of Genesis 3 opens, and there\u2019s this conversation between her and this snake, who puts her focus not on everything that God says she can have, but the one thing that she couldn\u2019t have. She takes; she eats; she gives some to Adam.<\/p>\n<p>What I love, though, about the story of Eve is, this woman\u2014you know, the Scriptures even in the New Testament would say that she was deceived; so, through her, comes the deception that brings the Cosmic Fall. And yet, God inserts her into this drama of redemption. He says, \u201cI will send a seed from the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, this is the first pronouncement of the gospel. There\u2019s a big word, the \u201cprotoevangelion,\u201d which is the first time we get in Scripture this hint, this hope, of a coming Savior. And this Savior would come from the woman that the serpent tried to make an ally.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Isn\u2019t that interesting?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I love that!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Me, too! Because when I think of Eve, as I was growing up, I thought \u201cshame.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: On the daughters of Eve. There\u2019s this piece of shame that I carry, and we don\u2019t often go to, \u201cNo, the seed of Christ will come from woman!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes. This protoevangelion, this first pronouncement of Good News ahead, comes in Genesis 3:15. God says it even before He gives their judgment. So, you know, she\u2019s going to give children through pain, and there\u2019s going to be pain as the man is working the ground. There\u2019s all this pain! But that pain comes in the shadow of the promise of a coming Savior. So, God is incredibly merciful! Even in judgment, we see His mercy!<\/p>\n<p>Eve and Adam don\u2019t die immediately, physically. They will live to see many days, and this woman who should have died is named the mother of the living, and through her, children will come that will eventually lead to you and me sitting here. I mean, I think what it makes me remember as a woman living all the way on this side of the story is to trust the God Who keeps His Word. It\u2019s amazing to me! So, God\u2019s promise to send a Savior comes very early in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: In Genesis 3! And there will be Eve, and there will be Sarah, and there will be woman after woman after woman. And it seems, \u201cWhere is this Savior!? Has God\u2014is He faithful to His Word?\u201d And then one day, there\u2019s this angel who comes to this poor girl and says, \u201cThe Holy Spirit will overshadow you, and in you, this seed of the woman promised so long ago to Eve\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>God keeps His Word! I\u2019m on this side of the cross, and in my everyday life, I just need to remember, \u201cIf God has said it, even if it takes a long time, He keeps His Word!\u201d He is faithful!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: He put the promise of Jesus first! I\u2019ve never thought of that before. How sweet of Him!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: It is.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Why do you think that\u2019s so significant?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: You know, that whole, \u201cIn pain you will bring forth children?\u201d Women feel that in so many ways. So, I used to think that it was just the pain of contractions or the pain of being a woman and that \u201ctime of the month\u201d\u2014that whole thing that we blame on Eve; but women bring forth children with pain in more ways than one.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: In more ways than one. So, whether it\u2019s\u2014you know, I am a mother both through foster are and adoption, and also a mother of biological children. So, my little boy, who I didn\u2019t give birth to, I still pushed through a system. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: With so many complexities, I pushed him out in ways that were painful.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: So, adoptive mothers feel that pain, and foster mothers feel that pain, and even women who labor to bring forth spiritual children. We feel that! So, the pain that we feel as mothers living east of Eden, in a world of thorns and thistles\u2014all of that sits under the shadow of the promise that God has made to be a Savior.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That\u2019s so well-said.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It\u2019s beautifully said.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And that\u2019s something we all need to remember; men as well.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Absolutely!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: [We] need to remember the darkness is under light, the pain is under healing.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, there\u2019s a bigger plan in place.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Did we hit everything for Eve?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: The only other thing that comes to mind is, you know, sometimes we leave Eve\u2019s story in Genesis 3.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: But she comes up again in Genesis 4. Actually, Genesis 4 starts with Eve, because it talks about these children that she gives birth to, these sons. So, we know that she gives birth to Cain, and she\u2014actually, there seems to be this sense of hope when Cain is born.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: She called him \u201cgotten by God.\u201d She said, you know, \u201cGod has given me a son.\u201d And one wonders: was she thinking, \u201cThis is him! This is the snake crusher, the promised son?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: But what\u2019s going to happen? This son is going to act more like a snake than a snake-crusher. He\u2019s going to kill his brother. And Eve reminds me of\u2014so many times, we see our children or, I\u2019ll say this: I remember when one of my daughters started doing something that kind of reminded me of my own past, and just being broken-hearted, not just because of what was going on with her, but thinking about even how I may have contributed to that.<\/p>\n<p>I think Genesis 4 gives us a chance to really mourn with Eve. Like mother, like son. She took this fruit that God had created and said, \u201cDon\u2019t take.\u201d And her son took the fruit of her womb; took a life! It\u2019s like the escalation of her sin.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: In this boy, Cain. And I can\u2019t help but mourn\u2014mourn with her\u2014in that.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: It also makes me think\u2014the way you said it, Nana, was it would be easy for Eve, and for any of us, to look at our circumstances and say, \u201cGod\u2019s promises aren\u2019t going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Especially like you said, if she thought Cain was, you know, the promise, and then this happens, it\u2019s like, \u201cOh, it\u2019s not going to happen!\u201d I think we can do that!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: We base our faith on what we see rather than on what is truth.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: It\u2019s like you\u2019ve got to raise your eyes vertically and say, \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u201cEverything I see doesn\u2019t mean that\u2019s the way it is. There\u2019s a God behind this!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: The whole emphasis of your book is, there\u2019s a Seed that\u2019s going to continue!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Even though it doesn\u2019t look like it at this point.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I\u2019d love to hear: what\u2019s your story of knowing Jesus?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Oh, absolutely! So, I was born in Ghana, which is in West Africa, and I came to the US when I was nine. As a young immigrant, growing up, I think I really went to church to be with people who looked and sounded like me. I said I was a Christian, but really didn\u2019t love God\u2019s Word. I didn\u2019t have any Christian friends. I was trying to be a good girl, you know, with doing my homework and getting good grades, you know?<\/p>\n<p>But as a rising sophomore in college, it became really clear to me that the righteousness that God demanded and required was more than good grades and being nice. Actually, the standard He was calling me to, I couldn\u2019t achieve on my own. If God didn\u2019t reach down and help me and pull me out, it wouldn\u2019t get done. \u201cGod is calling me to His own righteousness, and He has to do this thing!\u201d So, I prayed and cried out to Him, and I really was a different person after that.<\/p>\n<p>So, you know, I started doing Bible studies; joined a church eventually; and began to enjoy the Bible in a way I had never done before.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And you even started listening to FamilyLife Today. That\u2019s what we heard! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I really did! I really did.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: There you go! We\u2019ve got to get a plug in.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, yes. I knew that I hadn\u2019t seen the example of what it was to live as\u2014you know, I wanted to be married; I wanted to have children; and I wanted to know how to be a godly wife and mom. So, I did turn to FamilyLife to help disciple me.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Let\u2019s go to another woman that you like.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You liked--?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Rachel and Leah.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes; let\u2019s talk about them.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Let\u2019s do that!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes. I really love the story of those two sisters. I think, in many ways, when we think of sibling rivalry, we think of Cain and Abel.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: We may even think of Jacob and Esau, the twins that Isaac and Rebekah had. One of them stole his brother\u2019s birthright with a stew, and his mom made him look like his brother; so, he had to run away. But there\u2019s another set of sibling rivalry that we don\u2019t always consider: the sisters, Rachel and Leah.<\/p>\n<p>So, you know, Jacob runs away because Esau wants to kill him, and he goes to Laban, his uncle, to kind of hide out, and also to find a wife. He meets Rachel at this well, and it says that he loved her so much that he agreed to work for seven years. But when the time comes to receive his wife, Laban tricks him, and gives Leah. Within the course of a week, he really becomes a husband of two wives. One of them, the Scripture says, he loves; and the other one, it says, he \u201chated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I sympathize with Leah in so many ways!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, me, too!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I can\u2019t imagine being hated by a man who still sleeps with her, because she will give him many children, and yet, he doesn\u2019t honor her with love. So, Rachel is the favored wife, and yet she is barren. She is desperate for children! I have known secondary infertility. Secondary infertility is when you have children, but then, for some reason (whatever reason), you can\u2019t conceive again.<\/p>\n<p>So, for ten years, I\u2019ve been praying for a child, and the Lord has sent that child through adoption. But I can appreciate Rachel\u2019s frustration with infertility.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: And you see her doing everything she can! So, she goes to Jacob, and she says, \u201cGive me children, or I shall die!\u201d Then, she gives her maidservant to him. This is like, you know, women who are trying to conceive\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You\u2019re desperate!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: They\u2019re just doing whatever they can! But the Scripture says, finally, she prays, and God remembered her. She got her first son, and she names him Joseph. Joseph is a name and a prayer. It means, \u201cMay He add another.\u201d There\u2019s a desire for more. Where Rachel\u2019s story gets interesting to me is, when Jacob decides to leave Laban, it says that Rachel went and took her father\u2019s household gods. So, one commentary that I read in writing this book says that these were nude figurines that guaranteed protection or fertility.<\/p>\n<p>So, it makes me wonder. God had listened to her and given her this son; but \u201cjust in case He doesn\u2019t come through again, maybe this is an added security for me to get this other child that I want.\u201d And what\u2019s interesting is, when Laban comes looking for his gods, Jacob says, \u201cWhoever has them will die!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: And Rachel isn\u2019t found with them because she actually sits on them. And yes, she does die. She dies giving birth to the very son, Benjamin, that she wanted so much. She\u2019s buried along the road to Bethlehem. It is such a good warning for my heart, because, oh! I\u2019ve looked to the Lord, and I\u2019ve prayed to Him for things; but sometimes, there\u2019s a temptation to hold onto something else, just in case God doesn\u2019t come through.<\/p>\n<p>My prayer is that He would help my heart, and the hearts of those who would read this book, really to know that Jesus is enough. We can put our full weight on Him. The story He\u2019s writing for us is good, and we can trust Him.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: She was longing for what she couldn\u2019t have. It could almost become our idol as women.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And then, for Leah, her sister, she could have all these babies, but she didn\u2019t have the love of her husband. Even to wonder and think through as a listener, \u201cAre there other things that you\u2019re thinking, If I just had this, I could be content or be happy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Because both of those women were longing for that, and it didn\u2019t come through a child, and it didn\u2019t come through [a husband\u2019s] love necessarily.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes. The thing with Leah also that encourages me is that it reminds me\u2014so, Leah; Leah suffered in so many ways.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: She\u2019s the object of her father\u2019s deceit; she has this husband who doesn\u2019t love her. It says, \u201cRachel was lovely and beautiful in form.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u201cBut Leah had weak eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Right. What is that?!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Can you imagine being compared to your sister?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: No!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I have two daughters. I don\u2019t want one to feel like she\u2019s the second-thought one.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, right!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: But then, even as you read Genesis, Leah suffers in other ways. So, it\u2019s her daughter, Dinah, that\u2019s raped by the prince of Shechem.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: And then, one of her sons will have an illicit affair with Jacob\u2019s concubine. And then, she watches her sister die. So, she suffers in so many ways. But I love the ways that God remembers Leah.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Me, too.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: So, He\u2014it literally says: \u201cWhen God knew that she was hated, He opened her womb.\u201d And then, of all the children, it\u2019s her son Judah that will lead the line to Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: There\u2019s the remnant.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: And then, when she dies, actually, Leah is buried with Jacob in the burial plot that has Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah. She\u2019s laid to rest next to the husband who had actually preferred someone else.<\/p>\n<p>Leah reminds me that God remembers us and sympathizes with us. She reminds me of the passage in Isaiah that calls Jesus the \u201cman of Sorrows.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u201cWho was rejected, and who was despised, and who was not esteemed.\u201d That is Leah\u2019s greater Son. In Christianity, we have a God who knows what we go through and can sympathize with us. In Jesus, He literally comes and He suffers the same kind of rejection! God knows when I go through that.<\/p>\n<p>You know, Hebrews 2:17 says that He was \u201cmade like us in every way,\u201d so He\u2019s a high priest who can sympathize with us. I can go to Jesus in those moments when I feel like Leah, and He is a God who can sympathize with me. I can go boldly to Him in prayer!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I thought it was interesting, too, how she named her first three sons.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Let\u2019s\u2014I want to\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Absolutely! I have it here. It\u2019s actually really sad when you read the names that she gives to these boys.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: So, Reuben\u2014the Hebrew word is \u201clook,\u201d saying, \u201cBecause the Lord has looked upon my affliction, my husband will love me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s her hope: that her husband\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana: That he\u2019ll love her now.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Then Simeon means \u201cto hear,\u201d saying, \u201cBecause the Lord has heard that I am hated, He has given me this son also.\u201d And then, third, she named her son Levi, meaning \u201cto join.\u201d She says, \u201cNow, this time, my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And yet, then she has Judah.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And she says what?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u201cThis time I\u2019ll just praise. I\u2019ll just praise Him.\u201d [Laughter] Like, \u201cIt\u2019s not working! Let me just praise the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: [Laughing] Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u201cWith this fourth one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Do you gals feel a little bit of that Leah sense: \u201cI\u2019m not seen. I\u2019m discarded. Men are more important?\u201d I don\u2019t know; I\u2019m just putting words out there. But have you felt that as a woman? Because she felt that, and yet, she was the one carrying the promise. So, the Truth was different than her reality, but I think women can\u2019t often feel that. Even\u2014I don\u2019t know of any other book that\u2019s walked through thirty women in the Bible. [Laughter] Do you know what I mean? Seriously! It\u2019s like nobody\u2019s writing those!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, it\u2019s extremely important! Do you feel that sometimes as a woman?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I mean, I do. I would guess almost every woman has felt at a point like, \u201cNo one sees me. I\u2019m not good enough. I\u2019m not loved enough. I\u2019m not beautiful enough. I feel rejected.\u201d I don\u2019t know if there are any women who feel like, \u201cI\u2019m amazing!\u201d You know? They could, but most of us have some wounds in the past that create that gap of need for like, \u201cDoes anyone--?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And the whole time, God is like, \u201cI do. I see you; I know you; I love you. I knew you in your mother\u2019s womb. I have knit you together, and I see you. And I have a plan for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Hi, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and you\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Nana Dolce on FamilyLife Today. Listen, we\u2019re going to hear more incredibly important and poignant truth from Nana Dolce in just a second, but first, after listening to this conversation, I think it\u2019s really important that we know that Jesus sees you. He cares about you. From all the big stuff in your life, to the little, tiny stuff, too; He values and He knows you. So, if you\u2019re ever wondering, \u201cDoes anyone get me?\u201d The answer is, \u201cYes!\u201d Jesus gets you! He knows you to the depths, and He loves you to the stars.<\/p>\n<p>Nana Dolce has been pointing that out today by highlighting biblical narratives of women that point to Jesus. She has written a book called The Seed of the Woman: Thirty Narratives that Point to Jesus. This is obviously an incredibly rare and important book, and we want to give you a copy when you partner with us. It\u2019s our thanks to you when you help more families hear more conversations like the one you heard today.<\/p>\n<p>You can partner with us online at FamiyLifeToday.com, or you can give us a call at 1-800-358-6329. Now, when you partner with us, that can be a one-time gift or a recurring monthly gift. Again, you can go to FamilyLifeToday.com or give us a call at 1-800-F as in \u201cfamily,\u201d L as in \u201clife,\u201d and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d And feel free to snail mail us and drop us something in the mail to FamilyLife, 100 Lake Hart Drive, Orlando, FL 32832.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s hear more from Nana Dolce.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I think we all have moments, whether it\u2019s because of your age, or your ethnicity, or your gender, or your family, or your bank account\u2014there are times when you\u2019re just going to feel passed over. I mean, we can all tell stories about that.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: [There was] a podcast I was listening to about a school shooting and how people in the town were sympathizing with these parents who had lost children, but other parents in the country who have lost children literally flew to be with those mothers and fathers.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sitting across from someone who has been through what you\u2019re going through\u2014there\u2019s an encouragement you get from that. What I love about Jesus is that, in Him, we have a God who has been through whatever you can go through!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: That\u2019s Who we literally sit across from when we go to Him in prayer. So, He gets it, and Scripture says that He\u2019s a faithful High Priest. I can come boldly to Him in those moments. That\u2019s our God!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s our God!<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: This has been a great conversation today with Nana Dolce, and I\u2019m super excited, because she\u2019s coming back tomorrow to talk about a number of different women in the Bible. In fact, have you ever thought about how Moses\u2019s mother points to Jesus? Actually, admittedly, I have not thought about that. Well, Nana is going to go over that tomorrow, so make sure that you join us!<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We\u2019ll see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<br \/>\nHelping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2023 FamilyLife\u00ae. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/280568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280568"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=280568"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=280568"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=280568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}