Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Send Benjamin with me. Father, we can't afford to wait
Speaker 2: any longer without Grain.
Speaker 3: You expect me to trust you. Twenty seven years ago
Speaker 3: I sent my son to you.
Speaker 4: Go to your brothers, I said to him, I sent
Speaker 4: him into your hands, and you bring me back a
Speaker 4: tattered coat covered in blood.
Speaker 5: You, young Benjamin, will be my slave. The rest of
Speaker 5: your brothers can walk away with Grain in their freedom.
Speaker 5: But you, you more rat in the pit until I
Speaker 5: pluck you out and have you labor in my fields
Speaker 5: until the day you die.
Speaker 2: Take me instead.
Speaker 1: Joseph's heart stopped beating when he heard the words fall
Speaker 1: from Judah's lips.
Speaker 6: What did you say?
Speaker 2: Have me remain as a slave on Benjamin's You have
Speaker 2: let me suffer so he could live.
Speaker 1: Judah's sacrifice pierced through Joseph's hardened heart. Look at me, brother,
Speaker 1: Judah's eyes, filled with pain and confusion, surged Joseph's face.
Speaker 1: The realization dawned slowly, like the breaking of a new day.
Speaker 7: Who are you?
Speaker 8: You know who I am?
Speaker 3: Joseph? Oh no, look at.
Speaker 6: Me, Judah, look at me. Look at everything you see
Speaker 6: around you.
Speaker 8: Egypt Is say from famine because of what God has done.
Speaker 8: Do not hold your heads low in shame because you
Speaker 8: sold me here. God send me here to preserve life.
Speaker 6: He knew that one day a famine would endanger the land.
Speaker 5: And one of us would have to prepare the way
Speaker 5: to deliverance.
Speaker 1: He sent them off with ten donkeys, floated with grain,
Speaker 1: bread and provisions for his father. On their journey, Joseph
Speaker 1: waved them away and began to prepare a place for
Speaker 1: his family to return.
Speaker 9: The dreamer who was cast down is now the redeemer
Speaker 9: who lifts others up. And we ask just how does
Speaker 9: one journey from the pit to the palace Schello, my
Speaker 9: friends from here in the holy land of Israel, Amya
Speaker 9: l Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
Speaker 9: and welcome to the Chosen People. Do me a favor
Speaker 9: and take a moment today to follow the podcast, leave
Speaker 9: a review, and share it with a friend. These steps
Speaker 9: may seem small, but in a crowded world of podcasting,
Speaker 9: they actually make a huge impact. Thank you so much
Speaker 9: much for making this Holy miss impassable. Now let's begin. Jacob,
Speaker 9: old and weary, is called to leave the land of
Speaker 9: his father's and venture into Egypt, a foreign place, a
Speaker 9: distant land, not promised his ancestors. And yet God's promise
Speaker 9: stands firm. But what does it mean to trust in
Speaker 9: such a promise to uproot your life, leave behind the familiar,
Speaker 9: and step into the wilderness of uncertainty. So let us
Speaker 9: step into the shoes of our forefather. Let us feel
Speaker 9: the weight of his decision, and let us have the
Speaker 9: same hope that drove him forward.
Speaker 1: Jacob's weary eyes gazed into the fire. The embers and
Speaker 1: smoke rose into the night sky painted with stars. He
Speaker 1: warmed his hands and allowed his mind to wander. His
Speaker 1: son's wives and children were all near the fire as well,
Speaker 1: all of them weigh for the return of the brothers.
Speaker 10: Do you think they're safe, Jacob, They've been gone for
Speaker 10: over a week.
Speaker 3: I do not know, child, but I fear the worst.
Speaker 11: If they don't return sooner, I'm not sure how much
Speaker 11: longer my soul will endure.
Speaker 1: Jacob regretted sending his sons back, but he had no choice.
Speaker 1: They needed grain. He looked at his grandchildren sitting quietly
Speaker 1: in their mother's arms. He was concerned for them as well.
Speaker 1: The famine had struck them hard, and he feared that
Speaker 1: no amount of grain would be able to sustain them
Speaker 1: for longer than a few months. Levi's youngest son, Koha,
Speaker 1: approached Jacob and sat in his lap. Jacob held him close.
Speaker 3: Will these be our last days? How many more nights
Speaker 3: do we have left before we starve?
Speaker 1: Jacob closed his eyes and felt the warm embrace of
Speaker 1: his grandson. He knew his time on earth was drawing
Speaker 1: to a close. Before Jacob dismissed himself for bed, he
Speaker 1: could hear the chuckles of his sons in the distance.
Speaker 1: His grandsons helped him up and he walked over to
Speaker 1: the small hill near their tents. In the distance, he
Speaker 1: could see torchlights. He counted them eleven. Jacob raised his
Speaker 1: hands in joy and went out to meet his sons.
Speaker 3: My boy, where is my boy?
Speaker 12: Here?
Speaker 3: I am father, not you, fool, But where is Benjamin?
Speaker 1: Benjamin ran in front of the others and met his
Speaker 1: father in the middle. The two of them hugged, and
Speaker 1: Jacob sobbed in his youngest son's arms. He looked up
Speaker 1: to see Simeon walking next to Judah. He cried out.
Speaker 3: Again, Oh Simeon, they have brought you back.
Speaker 1: He embraced Simeon, and all the men dropped their things
Speaker 1: to surround their father. Jacob saw that they had brought
Speaker 1: back more donkeys and carts than when they left.
Speaker 3: Why have you come with more donkeys and empty carts.
Speaker 6: My dear father.
Speaker 3: The Lord has brought us deliverance.
Speaker 6: From the famine.
Speaker 3: Yes, we have enough grain to last us through the year.
Speaker 3: Well done, No, not the grain.
Speaker 1: Come, let us retreat to the fire.
Speaker 3: We have much to discuss.
Speaker 1: The brothers escorted their father back to camp and greeted
Speaker 1: their families. Children ran into the arms of their fathers.
Speaker 1: Jacob's heart was full seeing his entire lineage stand before
Speaker 1: him by the fire. They sat by the flames and
Speaker 1: enjoyed a meal together. There was laughter and praise over
Speaker 1: the abundance they brought back from Egypt.
Speaker 3: Are these extra supplies the deliverance?
Speaker 2: Who spoke of father? I'm struggling to find the words.
Speaker 3: What is it?
Speaker 2: Your son? Joseph is alife.
Speaker 1: Jacob's brow creased in anger, and the right side of
Speaker 1: his life it raised in a snarl. With cold, unyielding eyes,
Speaker 1: Jacob rebuked his son.
Speaker 3: Do not speak to me of Joseph, Do not chide
Speaker 3: me about your dead brother. I have grieved enough.
Speaker 7: It's true, Father, I got to meet him in Egypt.
Speaker 3: Joseph has been in Egypt this whole time.
Speaker 7: Not only that he's the ruler there, he's off it.
Speaker 2: Not Pania enough, Benji, Look you're only confusing father Moore. Father,
Speaker 2: we have to tell you the truth, the truth about
Speaker 2: what happened to Joseph all those years ago.
Speaker 11: My son Joseph was devoured by wolves. I saw the
Speaker 11: coat sh No, Father, it was a lie.
Speaker 1: The brothers began to tell Jacob about what they had done.
Speaker 1: They were counted that day. When Joseph came to find them,
Speaker 1: they told him about the pit, the Ishmaelites, and the silver.
Speaker 1: Then they began to describe what had happened to Joseph
Speaker 1: while he was in Egypt. They explained how he was
Speaker 1: a slave turned steward, then a steward turned prisoner, then
Speaker 1: a prisoner turned ruler. It was much for Jacob to
Speaker 1: take in. He sat in silence as his sons lamented
Speaker 1: their sins. They groveled before him, begging for his forgiveness.
Speaker 2: Father. We understand if you wanted to cast us out,
Speaker 2: but please here.
Speaker 3: I have heard your words, my sons. That is enough.
Speaker 1: Jacob rubbed his hip, as he often did when he
Speaker 1: was in deep thought and prayer. His brow was furrowed
Speaker 1: in contemplation. He winced in pain as he helped himself
Speaker 1: up with his staff. He limped away from the fire,
Speaker 1: dragging a few feet forward before stopping and looking up
Speaker 1: to the sky. The vast expanse above made Jacob seem
Speaker 1: utterly small. Judah wondered if he was going to blow
Speaker 1: away with the wind.
Speaker 2: Is this finally gonna be what kills him? Can he
Speaker 2: withstand this grief and betrayal? Father? Are you laughing?
Speaker 1: As quickly as the wind shifted on the plains, Jacob
Speaker 1: spun around with a beaming smile that broke through the night.
Speaker 1: His feet tapped in the dust as he pranced around
Speaker 1: the fire, laughing and singing.
Speaker 3: My son is alive, My son is alive.
Speaker 2: But did you hear what we told you? We lied
Speaker 2: to you.
Speaker 10: I'm too old to care about that. Quick fact these
Speaker 10: cots and let us move. We have to reach Egypt
Speaker 10: before I die. You and I both know that could
Speaker 10: be any minute. I mean, look at me.
Speaker 1: Despite Jacob's words, he looked twenty years younger, joy had
Speaker 1: revitalized him. Tears fell like rain from his aged and
Speaker 1: cracked face.
Speaker 3: Joseph, Oh, my son, I knew, I knew, I knew
Speaker 3: your destined for greatness. I knew it the day you
Speaker 3: were born.
Speaker 1: The family of Israel departed from the land that was
Speaker 1: promised to them long ago. The land discovered by Abraham,
Speaker 1: cultivated by Isaac, and lived in by Jacob was left
Speaker 1: behind for a new chapter in God's story. The chosen
Speaker 1: people of God traversed the long path between Canaan and
Speaker 1: Egypt in search of redemption. The one who rose out
Speaker 1: of prison and on to the throne had called them
Speaker 1: to dwell with him in prosperity, so they obeyed and ventured.
Speaker 1: It took weeks for Jacob to travel such a distance.
Speaker 1: Before leaving the borders of Canaan, Jacob stopped in Beersheba
Speaker 1: to make a sacrifice. The rest of the family waited
Speaker 1: as Jacob limped his way up a hill to the
Speaker 1: well he had dug many years ago. It was on
Speaker 1: this hill where God showed him a vision of a
Speaker 1: ladder to heaven. For his entire life, Jacob had moved
Speaker 1: and responded to different situations. Rarely did he pause to
Speaker 1: deeply consider, pray, and meditate on God's will. Yet, here
Speaker 1: on the border of the land promised to his people,
Speaker 1: he paused.
Speaker 11: Is it wrong for me to leave the land promised
Speaker 11: to me and my forefathers Am I making a mistake?
Speaker 1: Jacob closed his eyes, remembering what God had spoken to
Speaker 1: him as a young man. The wind whistled up the hill,
Speaker 1: gently caressing Jacob's face in the wind, and he could
Speaker 1: hear a subtle whisper, a still and quiet voice speaking
Speaker 1: straight to his soul.
Speaker 12: Jacob, Jacob, here I am. Do not fear the unknown.
Speaker 12: I am your God, AM the God of your father.
Speaker 12: Do not fear going down to Egypt, For there I
Speaker 12: will make you a great nation. I will go before you,
Speaker 12: and I will also bring you back up again when
Speaker 12: the time comes, And when it is time for you
Speaker 12: to depart from this world, twill be Joseph who closes
Speaker 12: your eyes.
Speaker 1: Jacob smiled at God like one does an old friend.
Speaker 1: Together they sat at the well for a while, getting
Speaker 1: one last look at Canaan. Jacob hobbled down the hill.
Speaker 1: Midway down, he stopped his steps and looked down at
Speaker 1: his family, Reuben and his sons, Hannok, Palu, Hezron, and
Speaker 1: Kami were stitching up the donkeys. Simeon was with his
Speaker 1: sons Jemuel, Jamin, o'had, Yaqin, Zohar and Shaw patching up
Speaker 1: holes in the bags. Levi and his sons Gershon, Kohath
Speaker 1: and Murrari were lounging under the shade of a large stone.
Speaker 1: Then Jacob looked at Judah and his sons Perez and Zira.
Speaker 1: Zira had two children of his own, now, Hezron and Hamil.
Speaker 1: They were all together. Despite the dysfunction that wrought their family,
Speaker 1: they had grown to love one another deeply. Isakar and
Speaker 1: his sons Tola, Puva, Job and Shimron were playing by
Speaker 1: a small creek beside the rocks. Zebulun and his sons
Speaker 1: serahed Elon and jali O were nearby as well. Gad
Speaker 1: was present with his sons Ziphion, Hagai, Shunni, Esben, Urai, Arodi,
Speaker 1: and Arelai. They were playing with the sons of Asher Imna, Ishfa, Ishvi,
Speaker 1: Beriah and a daughter named Sarah. Asha also had his
Speaker 1: grandsons Heba and Malchio. Dan was with his only son Hushi,
Speaker 1: playfully throwing stones at the sons of Naphtali, Jazil, Gunai, Jiza,
Speaker 1: and Shilim. Jacob looked upon the vast number of people
Speaker 1: before him. Through God's blessings, he had created a small nation.
Speaker 1: Now it was time to begin a new chapter in
Speaker 1: the land of Egypt. With God's favor behind them and
Speaker 1: before them, the Chosen People ventured away from Canaan, prepared
Speaker 1: to begin their new lives under Joseph's protection. Jacob rested
Speaker 1: on a wagon pulled by two donkeys, accompanying him or
Speaker 1: a few of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. The journey
Speaker 1: was filled with hopeful joy, and the supplies given by
Speaker 1: Job as If made the long trek far more manageable.
Speaker 1: Jacob and his sons looked at the horizon and saw
Speaker 1: the majestic architecture of Egypt. Its splendor was like the
Speaker 1: rising sun. The very land that was meant to be
Speaker 1: Joseph's tomb turned out to be the land of deliverance
Speaker 1: for his family.
Speaker 12: The entire family.
Speaker 1: Cheered as they entered the borders of Egypt. The land
Speaker 1: had clearly been affected by the famine as well, but
Speaker 1: due to Joseph's brilliance, irrigation systems and patches of lush
Speaker 1: farmland were still intact. It had been the first sign
Speaker 1: of life they had seen for miles. Jacob's lip began
Speaker 1: to quiver, his bones ached from a long journey, but
Speaker 1: his heart was bursting forth with youthful zeal.
Speaker 11: Judah, come here, yes, father, run ahead and tell my
Speaker 11: son that we have arrived.
Speaker 3: I do not want to waste one more second.
Speaker 1: Judah bowed his head and ran ahead. He made his
Speaker 1: way to the lavish estate of Joseph. He was sitting
Speaker 1: in the courtyard with a few of his officials, strategizing
Speaker 1: for rationing in the next year. Judah came in, escorted
Speaker 1: by guards. Joseph looked up and immediately stood in joy.
Speaker 6: Is he here?
Speaker 1: His excited grin was like a little child's. Judah simply nodded.
Speaker 1: He sprang up to go to meet his father, but
Speaker 1: before he left, he paused. He turned to Judah, who
Speaker 1: was still standing still. Joseph stepped lightly and placed a
Speaker 1: hand on his shoulder. Judah's body quivered slightly, his fists tensed,
Speaker 1: then released as he spoke.
Speaker 2: Greatness, that's what Abraham was called to do, building a
Speaker 2: nation a legacy. You've done it. Joseph, your name will
Speaker 2: be engraved in the hearts and minds of people for
Speaker 2: generations to come. And I well, I'm glad I at
Speaker 2: least got to witness it. You're a king, and your
Speaker 2: children will most likely be kings as well. I will
Speaker 2: be lucky if minee even last another generation, given.
Speaker 1: My luck.
Speaker 6: Greatness.
Speaker 5: You know, before I wore these royal amulets, I wore chains,
Speaker 5: before those shaines, my hands were pound up.
Speaker 6: By rope as a slave. The path to greatness can
Speaker 6: be treacherous.
Speaker 2: And then the way of kings is marked by suffering.
Speaker 6: Your legacy may not be fully seen by your children
Speaker 6: or your grandchildren, but give it time. The generations that
Speaker 6: follow may sing of your greatness.
Speaker 2: Maybe you're right. What are you doing here with me?
Speaker 2: Go see your father.
Speaker 1: Joseph was gone in an instant. He mounted his chariot,
Speaker 1: eyes beaming with hope and pride. He reached out a
Speaker 1: hand to Judah.
Speaker 6: You want a taste of greatness, Judah hop on.
Speaker 1: Judah ran like a child and hopped on to the chariot.
Speaker 1: The two of them rode through the city streets with
Speaker 1: ferocious speed. Judah had never ridden a horse before, let
Speaker 1: alone a chariot. Its speed was nearly blinding. Joseph was
Speaker 1: beaming with joy. Tears welled up in his eyes as
Speaker 1: he saw the small caravan of people in the distance.
Speaker 1: Father Jacob looked up. Behind a golden chariot pulled by
Speaker 1: Egyptian stallions. A tall, tanned man adorned with royal garments approached.
Speaker 1: His head dress flew off from the wind, revealing long
Speaker 1: brown curls. Jacob peered at the figure, wondering if it
Speaker 1: was Pharaoh himself coming to greet them.
Speaker 6: But it wasn't.
Speaker 1: The man riding towards him was his son, Joseph, his
Speaker 1: lost child.
Speaker 10: Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.
Speaker 6: Father.
Speaker 1: He was close now, and the horses made an abrupt stop.
Speaker 1: With the son at his back, the glimmering redeemer of
Speaker 1: Israel stood before Jacob. The man who had suffered so
Speaker 1: the rest may be saved had arrived. Joseph the Dreamer
Speaker 1: was reunited with his father. Joseph dismounted his chariot. Jacob
Speaker 1: was helped off of the wagon. The two of them
Speaker 1: stood ten feet away from each other. It had been
Speaker 1: many years since they had seen each other. Jacob stepped
Speaker 1: forward and touched his son's face. Tears streamed down the
Speaker 1: cracks of his face.
Speaker 3: Is it you, my son?
Speaker 6: Yes, Father, it's me.
Speaker 2: I'm here.
Speaker 1: He crumbled into his father's arms like a child and sobbed.
Speaker 1: The two of them embraced he could help his son's face.
Speaker 11: No, no, I may die in peace since I have
Speaker 11: seen your face and know that you are alive.
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 9: We have witnessed Jacob's raw despair, staring into the fire,
Speaker 9: searching the stars for a glimmer of hope. We've witnessed
Speaker 9: the fracture of his family, his deep regret, the haunting
Speaker 9: uncertainty of famine, and then we witness the reunion. Jacob's
Speaker 9: heart leaps as he sees the torches and the distance,
Speaker 9: realizing his son, his beloved Joseph, is alive. This is
Speaker 9: a story of survival, but it's not just about survival.
Speaker 9: It's also about God's redemption in the darkest moments. It's
Speaker 9: a reminder that no matter how hopeless things seem, God
Speaker 9: is always crafting away back. We are assured of this
Speaker 9: fact right away. In Genesis forty six, we find Jacob
Speaker 9: on his way down to Egypt. Verse two tells us
Speaker 9: and God spoke to Israel in a vision at night,
Speaker 9: and said Jacob, Jacob, Now this verse is the only
Speaker 9: place in the Bible that God appears in a vision
Speaker 9: at night. We've already seen many mystical, mysterious aspects of
Speaker 9: God in Genesis. But what does a vision at night
Speaker 9: even mean? Well, And Jacob was leaving the land of Israel,
Speaker 9: and he knew that the night of exile, when hope
Speaker 9: would be enveloped in darkness, was about to begin. Jacob
Speaker 9: was terribly afraid that God would no longer be with
Speaker 9: him in a strange land. The promise that God made
Speaker 9: only pertained to Israel, and now he wasn't even near there.
Speaker 7: He was in Egypt.
Speaker 9: But God reassures Jacob of his presence in verse four,
Speaker 9: promising quote, I will go down to Egypt with you,
Speaker 9: and I will surely bring you back again end quote.
Speaker 9: The Chosen People lived with this promise for all the
Speaker 9: years of their slavery in Egypt until they came back
Speaker 9: to the Promised Land. And they lived with this same
Speaker 9: promise after being exiled from the Holy Land of Israel,
Speaker 9: for all the centuries that they were persecuted and far
Speaker 9: in foreign lands, and even today we can live with
Speaker 9: this and learn from this and know that God's promise
Speaker 9: is ironclad. It may take a long time to be fulfilled,
Speaker 9: but it will always be fulfilled. And I tell you
Speaker 9: this now from right here in the holy Land of Israel,
Speaker 9: where God's promise has once again been fulfilled. It might
Speaker 9: take a lot long time in order for all of
Speaker 9: these promises to come to fruition, but they will happen,
Speaker 9: and they are happening, of course, in the heat of
Speaker 9: the moment, in the middle of our suffering. It can
Speaker 9: be hard to hold on to this holy promise sometimes,
Speaker 9: can't it. Like Joseph, when we suffer and I feel
Speaker 9: like God is distant and we wonder where is he?
Speaker 9: The Jewish tradition tells us otherwise, it's during our most
Speaker 9: difficult trials that God is actually nearest, that He's holding
Speaker 9: us close. When my Abba, my father Abbe Riel Ekstein,
Speaker 9: passed away unexpectedly of a sudden heart attack at the
Speaker 9: age of sixty seven, it was the hardest time of
Speaker 9: my life, and yet I felt God with me. I
Speaker 9: felt God embracing me with comfort more than any time
Speaker 9: in my life. I felt God holding me, comforting me,
Speaker 9: and letting me know that this is part of His plan,
Speaker 9: even if it's hard, that that comfort is what got
Speaker 9: me through it. This theme God's presence and hardship runs
Speaker 9: through the fabric of the Chosen People's history, from Egypt
Speaker 9: to Babylon, from Pregromes to the sho Ah, the Holocaust.
Speaker 9: God has always been with us, even when it felt
Speaker 9: the darkest, even when we felt abandoned, especially sometimes when
Speaker 9: we felt abandoned, which brings us to an intriguing question
Speaker 9: from Genesis forty six in verse twenty seven, seventy members
Speaker 9: of Jacob's family went to Egypt, but the Bible it
Speaker 9: only lists sixty nine of them. So who is the
Speaker 9: seventieth Why doesn't it mention the seventieth person who went
Speaker 9: down to Egypt from Jacob's family. Well, Jewish tradition has
Speaker 9: an answer. A similar discrepancy occurred when the Jews were
Speaker 9: exiled to Babylon. The Babylonians counted the Jewish captives when
Speaker 9: they left the Promised Land and again when they reached
Speaker 9: the shores of Babylon, But no matter how many people
Speaker 9: were counted, there was always one more than the original number.
Speaker 9: The Babylonians were baffled, but the Jews explained, as soon
Speaker 9: as we went into exile, our God joined us. Similarly,
Speaker 9: when the children of Israel went down to Egypt the
Speaker 9: beginning of a harsh exile, God went with them. The
Speaker 9: Jewish sages teach that God was that seventieth individual. So
Speaker 9: just as here, when God promises Jacob, I will go
Speaker 9: down to Egypt with you, we see he meant it.
Speaker 9: God has always been and will always be right by
Speaker 9: our side, holding our hands, loving us. Because when we,
Speaker 9: as children of God go through difficulties, our loving Father is.
Speaker 3: There right with us.
Speaker 9: His love is constant, his presence is unwavering. And we
Speaker 9: learn this and we can take the lesson from the
Speaker 9: story of Joseph and put it directly onto our life.
Speaker 9: This closeness of God in times of struggle reminds me
Speaker 9: of something else, something that shows up and the small
Speaker 9: acts of everyday life. I remember years ago hearing the
Speaker 9: international media being excited when Prince William of Egypt changed
Speaker 9: his son's diaper. The world went wild. Of course, through
Speaker 9: the years, my husband Deny, with our four children, have
Speaker 9: changed hundreds, maybe even thousands, of diapers, and no one
Speaker 9: ever threw us a parade or put us on the
Speaker 9: front page. Why is that, Well, because people didn't expect
Speaker 9: princes to do that. People didn't expect people didn't expect
Speaker 9: princes to do the dirty work of changing their kids' diapers.
Speaker 9: They have other people that do that, which is why
Speaker 9: it was such a notable display of love when William
Speaker 9: chose to change his child's diaper. He could have had
Speaker 9: someone else do it, but he decided not to. He
Speaker 9: decided to do it himself. Recalling that story or reminds
Speaker 9: me of Joseph. In this Bible story, we see Joseph
Speaker 9: prepare his own chariot to meet his father. According to
Speaker 9: Jewish tradition, Joseph didn't command his servants to perform the task. No,
Speaker 9: Joseph wanted to harness the horses himself, even though he
Speaker 9: was royalty. He chose to act out of love and
Speaker 9: honor for his father. We live in a world where
Speaker 9: we can hire people for almost anything. Nanny's nurses, take
Speaker 9: out food rides, even grocery deliveries. But sometimes we need
Speaker 9: to get involved with our own two hands. There's no
Speaker 9: substitute for the personal touch of service, which is the
Speaker 9: extension of our love. The extension of our hearts. That's
Speaker 9: what God did right here. When the Israelites went down
Speaker 9: to Egypt, he himself went with them, and we can
Speaker 9: learn from that. It's through these acts of love that
Speaker 9: we reflect the ever present, never ending hands on and
Speaker 9: love of our heavenly father. To speak more on this
Speaker 9: fatherly heavenly love is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
Speaker 7: Thank you so much.
Speaker 2: Child.
Speaker 7: I want us to move swiftly through this chapter forty six.
Speaker 7: In fact, I'm not going to speak to all of
Speaker 7: chapter forty six because the latter part of it leans heavily,
Speaker 7: really into chapter forty seven. Can I tell you that
Speaker 7: when I'm reading chapter forty six, the word that just
Speaker 7: leaps into my spirit is the word generation. Here is
Speaker 7: jacob journey to be reunited.
Speaker 2: With his.
Speaker 6: Son.
Speaker 2: Would you say that word with me?
Speaker 6: Son?
Speaker 8: Son?
Speaker 7: That's your son? Say daughter, daughter? Both of those are
Speaker 7: generational words. You don't get to be your son unless
Speaker 7: someone else generates you. You have a father, you have
Speaker 7: a mother. Doesn't mean you know them, doesn't mean you've
Speaker 7: ever met them, doesn't mean you see them often or
Speaker 7: like them at all. Just in purely generational terms, Jacob
Speaker 7: is going to see the one who came forth from
Speaker 7: Jacob and his Rachel.
Speaker 2: Now watch this.
Speaker 7: Jacob is on his way to see his son, and
Speaker 7: he stops to offer sacrifices doom to the God of
Speaker 7: his father. Say father, say mother, this is all about generations.
Speaker 7: And you know I want to stop here and just say,
Speaker 7: I honor those men and women who are willing to
Speaker 7: become the Abraham and Sarah of their own families. No
Speaker 7: one else in your family has believed the Bible, no
Speaker 7: one has chosen to faith themselves into the God of Israel,
Speaker 7: the creator of the heavens on the earth. Now you
Speaker 7: are the first, and I honor you for doing so,
Speaker 7: and for making sure that your own generations, your children
Speaker 7: will know our God. But I also celebrate those who
Speaker 7: come from a long line of faith. You can look
Speaker 7: to your parents, your mother, your father, maybe your grant,
Speaker 7: maybe even farther back than that.
Speaker 6: Oh that's Glorias.
Speaker 7: You know that God revealed himself to Jacob a beth
Speaker 7: Al when Jacob put his head on the rock and
Speaker 7: the heavens were opened. And you know that part. You
Speaker 7: also know the apartment Jacob wrestled all night with an
Speaker 7: angel who was determined not to take something from Jacob,
Speaker 7: but to press something into Jacob. This this name that's
Speaker 7: even bigger than a person, but for a people. And
Speaker 7: in this verse two, Jacob has a profound vision where
Speaker 7: the Lord reiterates his covenant promises and presence in Jacob's
Speaker 7: life at this pivot point of reunion and restoration and reconciliation.
Speaker 7: To Joseph, these are some of the most powerful moving
Speaker 7: words I've ever read in the scriptures. But you know
Speaker 7: that part where Joseph said, Look, I know I'm only
Speaker 7: thirty years of age, but I'm telling you the anointing
Speaker 7: of God is so upon my life. I have not
Speaker 7: become a sum to Pharaoh. Now I have become a
Speaker 7: father to Pharaoh. And then God says in verse three
Speaker 7: to Jacob, I'm going to make a great nation in Egypt.
Speaker 7: What you remember, God, it said to Abraham, through you,
Speaker 7: all the nations of the world will be blessed. And
Speaker 7: out of your nursery with Sarah will come a nation. Well,
Speaker 7: God is reiterating to Jacob and telling him the context,
Speaker 7: the miraculous context where Israel will become a great nation.
Speaker 7: He says, it will happen in Egypt. I'm going to
Speaker 7: put you in a land. It's not your land, never
Speaker 7: will be your land. I'm going to use it. I'm
Speaker 7: going to use Egypt as a It's a divine backdrop. Yeah,
Speaker 7: I like a divine back drop, even a holy incubating force.
Speaker 7: And there I'm going to review myself to my people,
Speaker 7: and you're going to see my power and how I
Speaker 7: redeem and sustain. This is actually a Mount SIGINAI place
Speaker 7: before Signaiation of Israel will become great in another nation,
Speaker 7: in the midst of another people. But God says, you're
Speaker 7: not going to stay here forever. This is not where
Speaker 7: I'm planting you. And I won't leave you here, and
Speaker 7: I won't leave my people here. I will bring you
Speaker 7: back home. When Joseph closes, You're eyes. You know how
Speaker 7: this whole thing started, don't you. Of course you do.
Speaker 7: In a caravan. Jacob wasn't in the caravan. Neither were
Speaker 7: Joseph's brothers. Only Joseph, who had been apprehended and accused
Speaker 7: and abandoned. Only Joseph in the caravan. Now, finally we
Speaker 7: reached this crowning moment of a whole other caravan of
Speaker 7: seventy people who are coming not with Joseph. But for Joseph,
Speaker 7: and then we bean little this this caravan of seventy
Speaker 7: the little ones, and his wives and wagons, and there's
Speaker 7: cattle and possessions and descendants and sons and grandsons and
Speaker 7: daughters and granddaughters and all the generations against seventy of them.
Speaker 7: And when this son, Joseph and his father Jacob finally reunited,
Speaker 7: I don't think that translates well from black ink to
Speaker 7: white paper. How do you begin to convey what's really
Speaker 7: disrupture eruption of emotion? How would you act in such
Speaker 7: a situation, What would your own emotions be like? Of course,
Speaker 7: I suspect everybody was out of the room, maybe out
Speaker 7: of the building. But this father and this son as
Speaker 7: they had this very personal, painful, praise filled moment of
Speaker 7: raw hurt and hallelujah, and Jacob says something that's a
Speaker 7: little awkward to me. It's a little strange. You know,
Speaker 7: this is the beginning of something. You are re united,
Speaker 7: you have returned to one another, and you start dreaming
Speaker 7: and imagining and promising, and you know what Jacob says.
Speaker 7: Jacob says, I can die now, I can die because
Speaker 7: I know You're alive. Jacob is overwhelmed by this generational
Speaker 7: moment and the mindset that he says, I can leave
Speaker 7: because I know you live. I know that the promises
Speaker 7: of God to me, we'll live on.
Speaker 12: To you.
Speaker 9: Glory Genesis forty six is really what the story of
Speaker 9: the Chosen People is all about. Jacob's moved to Egypt,
Speaker 9: sparked by famine, isn't just a story of survival. It's
Speaker 9: about God's love. From Abraham's journey from Ur to Jacob's
Speaker 9: wrestling with God, our story has always been one of
Speaker 9: God's promise and his providence, even during times of uncertainty.
Speaker 9: Joseph's rise in Egypt after years of betrayal shows us
Speaker 9: that even in the darkness, God is there. And from
Speaker 9: slavery to liberation, from despair to deliverance, from exile to Aliyah,
Speaker 9: our story teaches us that in every trial, God is there,
Speaker 9: guiding us, shaping us, calling us, and blessing us his
Speaker 9: Chosen people. All we have to do is to hear
Speaker 9: his voice and make the decision to say he Nanny, here.
Speaker 1: I am Lord. You can listen to the Chosen People
Speaker 1: with the Isle Egstein add free by downloading and subscribing
Speaker 1: to the Pray dot Com app today. This Prey dog
Speaker 1: comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of
Speaker 1: creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben
Speaker 1: Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with
Speaker 1: Yile Egstein, Edited by by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu.
Speaker 1: Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz,
Speaker 1: Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer
Speaker 1: is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith,
Speaker 1: written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to
Speaker 1: Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller,
Speaker 1: and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Speaker 1: You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the
Speaker 1: Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store
Speaker 1: and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People
Speaker 1: with Yeile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.