Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People.
Speaker 2: Oh, I had this spectacular dream. I was surrounded by
Speaker 2: the stars, and they all bowed down to me.
Speaker 3: Even the Sun and the moon joined in.
Speaker 4: So are you to rule over us, Joseph?
Speaker 1: They hated Joseph for his favor and were trapped in
Speaker 1: a prison of jealousy. Sensing the danger, Joseph stepped back,
Speaker 1: but the brothers had surrounded him.
Speaker 4: Where are you running off to, baby brother?
Speaker 5: Are you afraid?
Speaker 1: Tears streamed down Joseph's face. He couldn't speak, he could
Speaker 1: barely breathe. Judah threw him against the rocks.
Speaker 6: Tell me, Joseph, in all your dreaming, did you ever
Speaker 6: imagine this?
Speaker 1: Joseph's cries for help were choked by the tight rope.
Speaker 1: Tears filled his eyes, his heart heavy with betrayal. The
Speaker 1: sun set, the stars taking its place as Joseph was
Speaker 1: taken towards Egypt, her slave's fate awaiting you.
Speaker 3: Egypt will experience a time of flourishing like never before.
Speaker 3: The land will give birth to new life, and your
Speaker 3: people will be fed. However, this prosperity will come to
Speaker 3: an end. The seven Sickly Cows and the seven scorched
Speaker 3: heads of grain. They represent seven years of devastation. After
Speaker 3: seven years of plenty, seven years of famine will strike the.
Speaker 2: Land like a wildfire.
Speaker 3: This is the warning God has given to you. With
Speaker 3: this knowledge comes a great deal of responsibility. It will
Speaker 3: come to pass, and if Egypt is not ready, the
Speaker 3: entire world will perish.
Speaker 7: Since God has made all this known to you, there
Speaker 7: is no one else I would desire for the position.
Speaker 7: You shall be in charge of my palace, my resources,
Speaker 7: and all my people. There shall be tools in your hands,
Speaker 7: guided by your God, so that our great nation will survive.
Speaker 7: Only with respect to the throne, will I be greater
Speaker 7: than you. I hereby declare that you are to rule
Speaker 7: my kingdom with complete authority. All shall praise you. Even
Speaker 7: the sun and moon shall know your name and bow.
Speaker 8: Among the hunger, pains and starvation during a famine, the
Speaker 8: cries of guilt echo the loudest, shalloh my friends from
Speaker 8: here in the Holy Land. I'm l Extein with international
Speaker 8: fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People.
Speaker 8: Have you ever wondered what you would do if the
Speaker 8: world round you collapsed, if every familiar security and comfort
Speaker 8: crumby how would you respond? In the days of all
Speaker 8: the famine swept across the land like a relentless force.
Speaker 8: The fertile fields of the Holy lanterned barn, and the
Speaker 8: chosen people cried out for relief. And in the midst
Speaker 8: of this desolation, starvation, and suffering, ten brothers embarked on
Speaker 8: a journey.
Speaker 1: The harsh wind blew in from the east, a desolate
Speaker 1: breath from the heart of the wastelands, carrying with it
Speaker 1: the seeds of ruin. Crops withered under its relentless assault,
Speaker 1: leaving the land of Canaan Barn and its people hungry.
Speaker 1: The sons of Jacob toiled in the fields, their efforts
Speaker 1: as futile as trying to hold back the sea with
Speaker 1: a sieve. The wind cut at their faces and stripped
Speaker 1: their throats dry, a cruel reminder of the famine that
Speaker 1: had taken hold on a weathered stump, his knuckles white
Speaker 1: as he gripped his staff age had turned his skin
Speaker 1: to leather and his bones to brittle twigs. He surveyed
Speaker 1: the lifeless fields with eyes that had seemed too much
Speaker 1: suffering and not enough joy. His heart was a stone
Speaker 1: in his chest, heavy with the knowledge that his time
Speaker 1: was running out, and his son's lives might follow if
Speaker 1: something didn't change soon. The sky above was a cruel,
Speaker 1: unbroken expanse of blue, mocking his pleas for rain.
Speaker 6: M is this how it all ends?
Speaker 1: The horizon offered no answers, only the heat rising in
Speaker 1: shimmering waves. Jacob's prayer for deliverance was swallowed by the
Speaker 1: empty sky, his faith tested by the gnawing hunger that
Speaker 1: clouded his mind. He strained to hear God over the
Speaker 1: incessant rumbling of his stomach. Before he could gain focus,
Speaker 1: a voice cried.
Speaker 9: Out from the road, Oh, there, Jacob.
Speaker 1: Jacob turned to see Danel, a Canaanite goat herder striding
Speaker 1: towards him. Danel was a broad shouldered man, his skin
Speaker 1: darkened by the sun, with two sons trailing behind him,
Speaker 1: towing a large cart. Like Oxen, the herder carried a
Speaker 1: large pack, its weight bending his back slightly. Jacob offered
Speaker 1: him a drink from his wine skin, and he obliged
Speaker 1: with a grunt and nod. Danell sat down heavily beside him,
Speaker 1: eyes fixed on the dead fields.
Speaker 9: There are crops for miles, Jacob. All the surrounding villages
Speaker 9: are losing children and the elderly. Ah it's a mess.
Speaker 6: Ah, My God always provide.
Speaker 9: Yes, Yes, you and your guard are fortunate to have
Speaker 9: it each other.
Speaker 2: As the land turns to dust. I have a new God.
Speaker 9: He's in Egypt, and he gave me mountains of grain to.
Speaker 10: Bring home Egypt as the famine not reached them.
Speaker 6: How could that be?
Speaker 9: Oh, the famine reached them all right. Their fields are
Speaker 9: as dead as ours. Not a barley sprout for miles.
Speaker 9: It hit the livestock too, but still they eat. They
Speaker 9: have a prophet there who foresaw the coming famine and
Speaker 9: stored enough grain to feed the entire world if.
Speaker 6: He so pleased. This prophet has allowed you, a foreigner,
Speaker 6: to have some of Egypt's grain. I was as surprised
Speaker 6: as you are.
Speaker 9: But this prophet is letting everyone come. He's filling bellies
Speaker 9: across the world.
Speaker 10: Ah.
Speaker 9: That's why I've made him my new God. It's him.
Speaker 6: I'll be praying to it.
Speaker 9: You can be sure of that. As long as my
Speaker 9: bellies fall, I'll be blessing him.
Speaker 6: Watch this prophet's name, eh.
Speaker 9: Some royal Egyptian name given by Pharaoh himself. Apparently they
Speaker 9: call him Ah. How you pronounce it? A zaf laf panaia?
Speaker 6: That's it? What do you receive?
Speaker 10: A Hebrew?
Speaker 6: My family has a mixed relationship with Egypt.
Speaker 9: I think he'd received just about anyone.
Speaker 4: I know.
Speaker 9: You think your God will save you from the famine, Jacob,
Speaker 9: But I would consider looking to Egypt for help. Maybe
Speaker 9: your God has wandered into those parts and made a
Speaker 9: home there. You said so yourself. He works in mysterious ways.
Speaker 9: All right, that's enough rambling from this old man. I'll
Speaker 9: be on my way. Now, take care of yourself, Jacob,
Speaker 9: you as well.
Speaker 6: Friend.
Speaker 1: Daniel carted off with his sons. Jacob remained still for
Speaker 1: a moment. A tinge of hope coursed through his old veins.
Speaker 1: A smile twitched to the corners of his lips. His
Speaker 1: eyes peered upward, and he allowed a full grin to
Speaker 1: widen on his leathery face.
Speaker 6: What are you up to?
Speaker 1: He stood to his feet and made his way back
Speaker 1: to the tents. His sons were there, mending their tools
Speaker 1: and lounging in the shade. Jacob hobbled towards them with
Speaker 1: his staff with a fervor that surprised even himself, he
Speaker 1: lifted his staff and whacked issaca upside their head.
Speaker 6: Ah, get up, you lazy sons.
Speaker 10: You're all staring at each other as if grain's gone
Speaker 10: to start pouring out one of your ears.
Speaker 1: The men, none of the many longer resembling boys, stood
Speaker 1: to their feet. They had not seen their father with
Speaker 1: this much vigor in a long time.
Speaker 2: Father, we've worked the land. It's given us nothing.
Speaker 3: What else are we supposed to do?
Speaker 6: Well?
Speaker 10: Dear Syrian, you can continue to fester in your seats.
Speaker 6: Oh, you can make yourself useful and go to Egypt.
Speaker 1: The men perked up, anxious about what Jacob knew about Egypt.
Speaker 1: Any time the nation was mentioned, a tinge of remorse
Speaker 1: jobbed at them.
Speaker 4: What's what's in Egypt?
Speaker 6: Grain?
Speaker 10: Enough grain to feed the world, and they're selling it
Speaker 10: at a fair price.
Speaker 3: Ah, the road to Egypt is risky, especially with the famine.
Speaker 3: Bandits have multiplied out of desperation.
Speaker 6: Howard, listen to me.
Speaker 10: You can either go to Egypt and live, or remain
Speaker 10: here and die.
Speaker 1: The men paused, confused, more so than Jacob was so lively.
Speaker 1: He hadn't been like this since Joseph's passing worthless suns.
Speaker 6: Get out and go. Go before your own father turns
Speaker 6: the duster.
Speaker 4: Oh rally all the brothers well believe it. Don Simeon,
Speaker 4: go retreat. Reuben and Zebulon, Levi send word to Gadon,
Speaker 4: asher Dan, Benjamin and I will saddle the donkeys before
Speaker 4: the sunset.
Speaker 6: No, absolutely not. Benjamin will not be joining you, father.
Speaker 4: He's a strong boy, nearly a man. He'll be fine
Speaker 4: with us.
Speaker 6: Don't you dare try and convince me to save my
Speaker 6: youngest boy with you.
Speaker 10: Benjamin stays you go her canvas, losing another piece of
Speaker 10: my heart.
Speaker 1: The words weighed heavily on Judah. Jacob had never forgiven
Speaker 1: them for letting Joseph perish in the wilderness. If only
Speaker 1: he knew the real truth.
Speaker 4: As you wish you all hurt, father, Let's move.
Speaker 1: Before the dawn could emerge from its hiding. The ten
Speaker 1: older sons of Jacob departed, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issuka, Zebulun,
Speaker 1: gad asher Dan, and Naftali. As the cool gravel crunched
Speaker 1: beneath their feet, they heard a shout from behind.
Speaker 6: Judah wait for me.
Speaker 1: His ruddy teenaged brother, Benjamin, was running after the pack.
Speaker 1: Secure to his side, Judah turned a warm smile spreading
Speaker 1: across his face.
Speaker 4: Haha, I wish you could join us, Benji, but father
Speaker 4: forbade it.
Speaker 6: Never lets me go anywhere with the others.
Speaker 4: You're precious to him that to all of us, Egypt
Speaker 4: is a hostile place, especially to us Hebrews.
Speaker 7: I'm not the child father thinks I am.
Speaker 1: Judah paused and looked down at Benjamin. The boy was lanky,
Speaker 1: with broad shoulders and amber curls bouncing off his forehead.
Speaker 1: He was a mirror image of Joseph at that age.
Speaker 1: Seeing his earnest gaze pierced Judah's heart, he brought his
Speaker 1: baby brother in close and kissed his head.
Speaker 4: Ah, come here, take care of the flocks and watch
Speaker 4: over my sons. You're not the child father thinks you are.
Speaker 4: You're a man, man enough to take care of things
Speaker 4: while we're gone.
Speaker 11: You'll tell me stories of Egypt, won't you tell me
Speaker 11: about the Nile and the great towers.
Speaker 4: Ah, I can't wait. Now run back to father before
Speaker 4: the sun rises. Be careful near the river, too, It's
Speaker 4: easy to stumble when it's.
Speaker 1: Judah watched Benjamin drag his feet for the first few steps,
Speaker 1: dust churning up with his disappointment. His trudge soon turned
Speaker 1: to a skip and run because he made his way
Speaker 1: back home. Judah's eyes glistened with brotherly affection. Benjamin had
Speaker 1: taken Joseph's place as Jacob's favored son, but he didn't
Speaker 1: catch the same ire. Judah's jealousy had quereled with time.
Speaker 1: Life had humbled him, beaten him into submission.
Speaker 3: You've grown softer in your old age, Judah, and.
Speaker 4: You've grown uglier and fatter. Let's go before the sun
Speaker 4: punishes us with its heat.
Speaker 6: To Egypt.
Speaker 2: Salvation awaits yes, Salvation, Please step forward.
Speaker 1: Joseph stood at the entrance of the storehouses, the massive
Speaker 1: and stone structures towering behind him like silent sentinels. The
Speaker 1: carvings on their surfaces told the tale of zapphanarth Pannia's
Speaker 1: rise to power, a story of foresight and wisdom that
Speaker 1: had saved Egypt from the grip of famine. The line
Speaker 1: of people stretched far, a river of humanity seeking sustenance.
Speaker 1: Joseph's heart ached with a blend of duty and compassion.
Speaker 1: A woman and her daughter stepped before the slave turned governor,
Speaker 1: their faces weary from travel.
Speaker 2: Where have you come from?
Speaker 11: Timner, just outside the plains of Canaan.
Speaker 2: I'm very familiar with Timner. You've traveled far. You must
Speaker 2: be very tired.
Speaker 11: Yes, my lord, but the journey will be worth it
Speaker 11: for some food. Everywhere around us has been destroyed by
Speaker 11: the famine.
Speaker 2: Has Canaan been struck as well?
Speaker 11: Yes, my lord, no village or farm was spared.
Speaker 4: I se ye.
Speaker 1: Joseph hid his reaction, but the news struck him like
Speaker 1: a blow. He looked down at the little girl beside
Speaker 1: the woman and offered her a piece of sweetbread. She
Speaker 1: took it hesitantly, then devoured it with a hunger that
Speaker 1: brought tears to Joseph's eyes. He gestured to his attendants.
Speaker 2: Filled their bags with grain as much as they can carry.
Speaker 11: Thank you, Zephanethpania. Tales have been told of your kindness.
Speaker 11: I'm pleased that the stories have proven true.
Speaker 1: The little girl waved, and the two of them were
Speaker 1: on their way. Joseph watched them depart, a storm of
Speaker 1: emotions brewing within him. As the sun climbed higher, more
Speaker 1: people came, each with their own stories of hardship and need.
Speaker 1: Joseph greeted them all, his heart heavy with the weight
Speaker 1: of his role. All people from far off had traveled
Speaker 1: to Egypt in order to buy grain. There was plenty
Speaker 1: to spare, for God had made ease Egypt incredibly fruitful
Speaker 1: during the time before the famine, Joseph had planned well,
Speaker 1: and now they were enjoying the fruits of their labor.
Speaker 1: Egypt truly was a palace of plenty, and Joseph was
Speaker 1: its king. He ruled with a gentleness, tact, and wisdom
Speaker 1: that made him the most beloved man in the world.
Speaker 1: He believed God had placed him there in Egypt for
Speaker 1: this very reason. Then he saw them. Ten tall figures
Speaker 1: stood in line. They wore garments of sheep's wool over
Speaker 1: their waists and sashes of thin fabric across their shoulders.
Speaker 1: Each of them had a specific trait about them that
Speaker 1: signified they were brothers. Recognition sparked a fire in Joseph's veins.
Speaker 1: These were his brothers, the sons of Israel, who had
Speaker 1: betrayed him so long ago. Joseph's blood ran cold, and
Speaker 1: his grip on his scepter tightened. His brow turned downward,
Speaker 1: and the blood rushed to his legs. Joseph felt like fleeing,
Speaker 1: escaping for his life. It was an absurd feeling. He
Speaker 1: was the second most powerful man in Egypt, surrounded by
Speaker 1: guards and doting citizens, yet he felt in danger. Surely
Speaker 1: they wouldn't recognize Joseph. He had grown larger and stronger,
Speaker 1: was shaved and dressed as an Egyptian, adorned with a
Speaker 1: royal head dress an amulet. But still Joseph's body tensed
Speaker 1: with panic. The ten brothers stepped forward in line, with
Speaker 1: empty sacks in their hands. Joseph looked at their faces.
Speaker 1: Reuben in particular, had aged considerably. His once broad and
Speaker 1: muscular frame had diminished with time. He looked like his father.
Speaker 1: Even the younger brothers, Issuca and Zebulun were weathered by
Speaker 1: age and labor. Joseph peered at them silently as they approached.
Speaker 1: With each step they took award, Joseph could feel his
Speaker 1: heart beating faster, his mind raised with a flurry of
Speaker 1: different emotions. Hatred, contempt, agony, and fear all rushed through
Speaker 1: him like battering waves against the shore. Then Joseph saw Judah,
Speaker 1: taller than the rest, a chest turned upward, wearing a
Speaker 1: wooing smile, Joseph stealed his resolve, refusing to be fooled
Speaker 1: by anything that came from that snake's mouth. Judah stood
Speaker 1: at the front, with his head held low and arms outstretched.
Speaker 4: Lord zap and ASPANEA, we come seeking kindness.
Speaker 1: Joseph's heart hammered in his chest. Here they were bowing
Speaker 1: to him, as he had once dreamed, though the vision
Speaker 1: now seemed a cruel irony. He stared at their dusty faces,
Speaker 1: their expressions pleading.
Speaker 2: They want my kindness, they want mercy. I received no
Speaker 2: such thing from them all those years ago. They ought
Speaker 2: to starve for what they did.
Speaker 1: A torrent of negative thoughts rushed into his mind. His
Speaker 1: vision turned blurry with rage. His tormentors bowed before him
Speaker 1: and expected mercy. Their eyes lifted to see Joseph's face. However,
Speaker 1: they didn't recognize him. His face had not changed much
Speaker 1: since he was seventeen. However, the last thing they expected
Speaker 1: was Joseph to be made a king. When they sold
Speaker 1: him into slavery, Joseph was adorned with the markings of
Speaker 1: power and royalty. The last time they had seen him,
Speaker 1: he was bound and tied to the back of an
Speaker 1: Ishmaelit camel. Joseph scoffed audibly.
Speaker 2: Where do you come.
Speaker 4: From From the land of Canaan, my king. We have
Speaker 4: come to buy food. Our crops have been ravaged by
Speaker 4: the famine, and we're out of options. We beg you
Speaker 4: for mercy. Please allow us to buy food for our
Speaker 4: families spies.
Speaker 1: He slammed his staff on the ground, watching them flinch
Speaker 1: and twisted. Satisfaction rose within him. He remembered how they
Speaker 1: once beat him to near death and left him in
Speaker 1: a pit. He still bore scars from that day on
Speaker 1: his side.
Speaker 2: You have come to see if this land is open
Speaker 2: for attack. We had threats come in from the land
Speaker 2: of Canaan. You must be spies Zavnefteneia.
Speaker 3: We assure you that our intentions are pure. We are
Speaker 3: all sons of a man named Jacob. His land is
Speaker 3: in Canaan. We are humble herders and farmers. We have
Speaker 3: no ill will towards you or Egypt. Your honest men
Speaker 3: who tell the truth always come with upright hearts before you.
Speaker 1: Simeon's answer made Joseph's blood boil.
Speaker 2: Honest men, the men who soothed their own brother into slavery,
Speaker 2: have the gold to stand before meath and clean. They
Speaker 2: have pure hearts.
Speaker 1: Joseph seethed with anchor, and it showed the brothers could
Speaker 1: sense his wrath rising and feared what he may do
Speaker 1: to them. Joseph could sense their fear. He reveled in it.
Speaker 1: Not a day had gone by when he didn't think
Speaker 1: about his brothers. He remembered their scowl. He's in their spite,
Speaker 1: He remembered their backs turning as he was carted off
Speaker 1: like an animal.
Speaker 2: We will see if they are honest men. I will
Speaker 2: make them prove they have.
Speaker 1: Changed, Joseph composed himself.
Speaker 2: I am convinced you've come to spy on our land.
Speaker 2: The famine has hit Egypt with the same blow as Canaan. However,
Speaker 2: we were prepared. Have you come to spy on our
Speaker 2: storehouses so you might take them for yourself? Why else
Speaker 2: would you bring so many of you.
Speaker 4: We are a large family, my lord. Your servants are
Speaker 4: all sons above one man, and and several women. In fact,
Speaker 4: there are.
Speaker 6: More brothers just us.
Speaker 4: Our youngest brother is in Canaan with our father and
Speaker 4: our other brother Paris long ago by wolves.
Speaker 2: Wolves Instead the lie they told father.
Speaker 1: Joseph scanned his brothers up and down. He observed their faces.
Speaker 1: Had they truly changed their ways? How far would they
Speaker 1: be willing to go to prove their honesty. Joseph placed
Speaker 1: his hands behind his back and paced back and forth.
Speaker 1: He looked to the horizon, the same horizon he had
Speaker 1: gazed at many sunsets. He longed to see his father again.
Speaker 1: He longed to meet his younger brother. Joseph turned to
Speaker 1: the brothers.
Speaker 2: My judgment delivered this land from famine, and my judgment
Speaker 2: tells me you are spies. Prove to me I'm wrong.
Speaker 2: You will be bound and imprisoned in this place while
Speaker 2: one of you leaves to retrieve the youngest brother. If
Speaker 2: he is real, then I shall know you do not lie.
Speaker 1: Joseph stopped and leaned down at Judah. He looked at
Speaker 1: him in the eyes intently. Judah had once looked Joseph
Speaker 1: in the eyes and tossed him into a pit. Now
Speaker 1: Joseph was going to return the favor.
Speaker 2: Send them to the pits for three days, we shall
Speaker 2: see if they feel any more motivated to tell me
Speaker 2: the truth.
Speaker 1: The guards seized the brothers and threw them into the
Speaker 1: palace prison. It was the same prison Joseph was once
Speaker 1: held in alone. They sat in there, cold and afraid,
Speaker 1: just as he once did. Joseph stood outside the prison
Speaker 1: pacing with fury. His heart was being tossed to and
Speaker 1: fro like a ship in a storm. His hands shook
Speaker 1: and his stomach churned. Joseph was starting to lose his resolve.
Speaker 1: For three days, Joseph sat outside the prison gates. His
Speaker 1: mind was blurred by flashes from his past. On the
Speaker 1: second night, he sat outside the cell and stared up
Speaker 1: at the moon. He remembered the comforting rays of light
Speaker 1: that peeked in through the dungeon window. He closed his eyes,
Speaker 1: trying to remember the pain of prison, slavery, and betrayal.
Speaker 1: A cold breeze blew in and knocked his head dress
Speaker 1: off and into the dirt beside a well. Joseph picked
Speaker 1: it up and stared into the water. He looked into
Speaker 1: his reflection, seeing a man he did not recognize. He
Speaker 1: didn't seize zaphanath Pania, the man commissioned by Pharaoh. He
Speaker 1: saw Joseph, the man saved by God. He sighed and
Speaker 1: looked to the heavens. The cool breeze caressed his face.
Speaker 1: Joseph smiled, remembering the blessings God had adorned him with
Speaker 1: since being sold into slavery. For a brief moment, Joseph
Speaker 1: forgot his bitterness. The next morning, Joseph entered into the
Speaker 1: prison cell with his guards. The brothers all stood to
Speaker 1: their feet, sore from days of sleeping on stone. Joseph
Speaker 1: walked in with a stoic expression.
Speaker 2: Do you deserve to live?
Speaker 1: The ten of them nodded their heads immediately.
Speaker 2: Very well, As surprising as it may seem to you,
Speaker 2: I fear the God of your people. I will grant
Speaker 2: you all a kindness you do not deserve. One of
Speaker 2: you will remain in custody, while the other nine leave
Speaker 2: to carry that grain to your families. Once your households
Speaker 2: are secure, you shall return here with your youngest brother.
Speaker 2: Then I will know you are honest men.
Speaker 1: The brothers nodded, whispering in their language. They consoled each
Speaker 1: other and commiserated over their past sins.
Speaker 6: Know why this is happening to us?
Speaker 9: Right?
Speaker 7: A week and Joseph to a not a slave religion,
Speaker 7: And now we had domed this fright.
Speaker 3: This is asonishment for our guilt. Do you remember how
Speaker 3: Joseph begged us for mercy. I could still hear his
Speaker 3: screams for help in my mind.
Speaker 1: We only watched as he was taken.
Speaker 2: I told you I want to leave the boy alone.
Speaker 1: Reuben was a quiet and strong man. However, this time
Speaker 1: his voice boomed, nearly shaking the entire prison.
Speaker 2: I told you to leave him alone. You didn't listen.
Speaker 2: You sold him when my back was turned.
Speaker 5: Now look at us. God has sent a reckoning voice,
Speaker 5: blood and we deserve it.
Speaker 1: They didn't know Joseph could understand him. Slowly, he backed
Speaker 1: out the door and out of view. He ran down
Speaker 1: the halls and into an empty cell. He fell to
Speaker 1: his knees and removed his head dress, banging his fists
Speaker 1: against the cold, wet stone. Joseph wept, his heart ached
Speaker 1: with sadness too deep for words. He had not known
Speaker 1: Reuben tried to save him. He had not known they
Speaker 1: regretted selling him into slavery. All of this was too
Speaker 1: much for his heart to bear. For a few moments,
Speaker 1: Joseph was undone.
Speaker 6: With emotional turmoil.
Speaker 1: His sobs bounced off the chamber walls, reverberating back at him.
Speaker 1: It sounded as if God himself was weeping in their
Speaker 1: prison cell with him. Joseph composed himself and wiped away
Speaker 1: the tears from his eyes. He took a deep breath,
Speaker 1: put his head dress back on, and marched towards his
Speaker 1: brothers as zaphanarth pannier. Joseph raised his right hand and
Speaker 1: pointed to Simeon.
Speaker 2: You will remain here until your brothers return.
Speaker 1: He watched the brothers embrace Simeon before being escorted out
Speaker 1: of the prison. Joseph turned shut the door. It echoed
Speaker 1: across the halls. Simeon was left in darkness. Ned was
Speaker 1: waiting for him outside.
Speaker 2: Nets see to it that every man's bag is filled
Speaker 2: to the brim with grain. Also, be sure to return
Speaker 2: the sacks of money in each of their bags, give
Speaker 2: them provisions for the journey home as well.
Speaker 1: Ned nodded and saw to it that every bag was
Speaker 1: full and every coin was returned to the men. The
Speaker 1: brothers were sent away without a goodbye from the governor.
Speaker 1: They departed with their donkeys carrying several loads of grain.
Speaker 1: All of the brothers, all but Simeon, walked away from
Speaker 1: Egypt with their heads held low.
Speaker 4: We have the grain, by what cost we'll explain to
Speaker 4: father what happened, and surely he'll let us take Benjamin
Speaker 4: back to Egypt.
Speaker 6: I wouldn't be so sure.
Speaker 1: Behind them, overlooking the land in the distance, stood Joseph.
Speaker 1: His eyes were fixed on the nine men as they
Speaker 1: walked away. He stood high on the hills, over looking
Speaker 1: the entire kingdom. The sun's golden rays turned into a
Speaker 1: deep red as it slid across the horizon. The burnt
Speaker 1: hues turned darker as the sun descended. Joseph closed his eyes, sighed,
Speaker 1: and returned to his family. He embraced them, reminding himself
Speaker 1: that they were his family now. The brothers reached a
Speaker 1: small lodging area in between Egypt and Canaan. Their throats
Speaker 1: were parched from a long day's journey.
Speaker 4: We rest tonight, then leave first thing in the morning.
Speaker 1: As Judah took some supplies off the donkey, a sack
Speaker 1: of money fell out of the bag of grain.
Speaker 6: What's this?
Speaker 1: The same sack of coins he used to buy the
Speaker 1: grain had been tucked away securely with the rest of
Speaker 1: his belongings.
Speaker 6: LEVI check your bag, All of you, check your bags.
Speaker 1: The brothers checked their belongings and their bags to their
Speaker 1: utter surprise, each sack of money had been returned to them.
Speaker 1: Judah looked down at the sack of money, twenty shekels
Speaker 1: of silver, the same amount they had gained when they
Speaker 1: sold Joseph. He threw his sack on the ground and
Speaker 1: fell to his knees. Judah clasped his hair and wept
Speaker 1: on the floor. The past was beginning to creep up
Speaker 1: on him. Shadows and flashes of his sins began to
Speaker 1: flood back into his memory. Judah and the rest of
Speaker 1: his brothers were coming face to face with their own depravity.
Speaker 1: Jacob sat beside the well, overlooking the charred landscape of Canaan.
Speaker 1: His bones ached and his heart was weary from weeks
Speaker 1: of worry. He prayed to God his sons would all return.
Speaker 1: He could not bear the loss of another. He looked
Speaker 1: behind him. Benjamin was digging up roots to be boiled.
Speaker 1: Jacob smiled. Benjamin was now around the same age Joseph
Speaker 1: was when he was killed. Not a day went by
Speaker 1: when he did not think about Joseph, his beloved son.
Speaker 1: Jacob looked away back at the horizon. Nine small figures
Speaker 1: came into view. The brothers had returned. Jacob stood and
Speaker 1: met them on the road. At first, he reveled in
Speaker 1: the fact that there were large sacks of grain carried
Speaker 1: by the donkeys. However, Jacob saw that one of his
Speaker 1: sons was missing.
Speaker 6: Where is Simeon? What has happened?
Speaker 4: We met the ruler of Egypt. He was a harsh man.
Speaker 4: He accused us of being Canaanite spies. But we told
Speaker 4: him that we were humble and honest men. We told
Speaker 4: him we are twelve brothers total, one being dead in
Speaker 4: the other back home with our father.
Speaker 10: Blasted Judah. What did you say to him to make
Speaker 10: him hate you so much?
Speaker 5: Judah didn't do anything wrong. This man was on hating
Speaker 5: us before we even spoke, so he killed Simeon. No,
Speaker 5: he's in prison until we can prove we aren't lying.
Speaker 5: H What proof will sway this man?
Speaker 1: The brothers paused and looked at each other. Finally Judah
Speaker 1: stepped forward.
Speaker 4: He requires Benjamin. If we can show him Benjamin, he'll
Speaker 4: know we aren't lying.
Speaker 6: Huh.
Speaker 10: No, he will not take my son to be in
Speaker 10: prison by this madman.
Speaker 6: How do you know he won't just kill you all?
Speaker 4: He gave us back our money. That's how everything we paid.
Speaker 4: He gave back to us in our sacks, along with
Speaker 4: an extra portion of brain. This man is harsh, but
Speaker 4: I feel he means what he says. His intentions were
Speaker 4: definitely not to harm us, or else he wouldn't have
Speaker 4: given us our money bag. I mean, however, it seem
Speaker 4: overly interested in our family.
Speaker 10: You have rieved me of my children. First, Joseph dies
Speaker 10: under your watch. Now Simeon rots in an Egyptian resin.
Speaker 10: Now you desire to take my youngest son, you will not.
Speaker 1: Jacob took Benjamin by the arm and began to storm away.
Speaker 1: Reuben stood there silently. His body began to quiver and
Speaker 1: his fists clenched. A single tear streamed down his face
Speaker 1: as he watched his father leave. He was the oldest
Speaker 1: and felt responsible for all of the misfortunes of his father.
Speaker 6: Who your trust in me, father.
Speaker 1: Jacob stopped and turned his head. Reuben was a quiet
Speaker 1: man who rarely raised his voice. However, a great deal
Speaker 1: of passion welled up within him.
Speaker 5: Allow me to take Benjamin. If I do not bring
Speaker 5: him back to you, kill my two sons. Please, I
Speaker 5: must redeem myself. Put Benjamin in my hands, and I
Speaker 5: will bring him and simeon back to you.
Speaker 10: Your word means very little to me, Reuben, do not
Speaker 10: think I've forgotten the sins that lay between us.
Speaker 1: Jacob looked deeply into his eldest son's eyes. Reuben had
Speaker 1: betrayed his father once before, defiling the sacredness of Jacob's
Speaker 1: marriage bed. A chasm lay between them, a gap of herd,
Speaker 1: fury and mistrust.
Speaker 10: My son shall not go down with you. His brother
Speaker 10: is dead, and he is the only one I have left.
Speaker 10: If harm should happen to him on the journey you
Speaker 10: are about to make, you would bring down my gray
Speaker 10: hairs with sorrow to shale. In other words, Reuben, I
Speaker 10: don't trust you, not after what happened to Joseph.
Speaker 1: Without another word or glance, yes, Jacob retreated back to
Speaker 1: his tent. The family of Jacob would live to see
Speaker 1: another few months. However, the culture of jealousy, backbiting, and
Speaker 1: betrayal in their family was beginning to catch up to them.
Speaker 1: They were in need of redemption.
Speaker 8: Wow, what an incredible story. Can you feel the gnawing
Speaker 8: hunger of the famine and the gnawing guilt of Joseph's brothers.
Speaker 8: Imagine the moment when they stand before him, not recognizing
Speaker 8: the sibling they'd once sold into slavery. And imagine Joseph
Speaker 8: keeping his composure, all the while torn between the bitter
Speaker 8: memories of betrayal and the heart's longing for reconciliation. The
Speaker 8: silence between them must have seemed like it lasted for centuries.
Speaker 8: The drama of this family saga is a reminder that
Speaker 8: our ancestors weren't just characters in a story. They were
Speaker 8: flesh and blood, with hearts that broke and hearts that healed,
Speaker 8: just like ours. And there in the midst of it
Speaker 8: all is God. Once again. God's word is more than
Speaker 8: a collection of tales from the past. It's a testament
Speaker 8: to his enduring faithfulness, this God of ours who turns
Speaker 8: even the darkest moments into light. God's workings in our
Speaker 8: lives might seem baffling at first, but if we look close,
Speaker 8: we can see his intricate designs. We see this in
Speaker 8: today's episode. Joseph's early misfortunes betrayal by his brother, slavery, imprisonment,
Speaker 8: seemed devoid of CeNSE or justice. Yet these trials actually
Speaker 8: positioned him to save his family in the future from famine,
Speaker 8: and with them the fledgling nation of Israel. Even from
Speaker 8: the beginning, God had a plan, a salvation story for
Speaker 8: Joseph and for his chosen people, and Genesis forty two
Speaker 8: perfectly illustrates this same truth. Joseph's brother's journeyed to Egypt,
Speaker 8: driven by famine and desperation. They bowed before the brother
Speaker 8: they had once sold into slavery, unaware of his true identity. Joseph,
Speaker 8: now a powerful figure, held their fate in his hands.
Speaker 8: Joseph's many trials and tribulations had had their purpose. Through them,
Speaker 8: God had placed Joseph in a position to preserve life,
Speaker 8: to be a vessel of salvation for his family and
Speaker 8: for all of God's chosen people. As we've seen time
Speaker 8: and again, and we'll see throughout the story of God's people.
Speaker 8: God's ways are shrouded in mystery, are limited. Vision can't
Speaker 8: always grasp his divine plan. But we are called to
Speaker 8: trust it nonetheless, to trust that God's plan for us
Speaker 8: is perfect, greater than our wildest dreams, more magnificent than
Speaker 8: our deepest imaginations. This is the essence of faith, embracing
Speaker 8: the unseen, believing in the divine orchestration of our lives.
Speaker 8: God's hand is at work, weaving a story of redemption,
Speaker 8: even in the threads that seemed tangled and frayed. We
Speaker 8: are the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and our
Speaker 8: God is ever faithful, ever true. Whenever I read this story,
Speaker 8: I always wonder why Joseph put his brothers through so much.
Speaker 8: Why didn't he just reveal himself from the beginning. While
Speaker 8: Jewish tradition explains that Joseph's aim was to frighten his
Speaker 8: brothers and make them uncomfortable, so that they would remember
Speaker 8: what they did to him, that they would reflect on it,
Speaker 8: and they would feel the sincere regret that would move
Speaker 8: them to real repentance. And it seems from what we
Speaker 8: read in the Bible that that's exactly what happened. After
Speaker 8: Joseph's brothers were released from jail, they said to each
Speaker 8: other in verse twenty one, quote, surely we are being
Speaker 8: punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he
Speaker 8: was when he pleaded with us for his life, but
Speaker 8: we didn't listen. That's why this distress has come upon us.
Speaker 6: End quote.
Speaker 8: Well, if you think back a few episodes, the Bible
Speaker 8: did not tell us that Joseph had pleaded for his
Speaker 8: life when he was thrown into the well. Maybe that's
Speaker 8: because the brothers blocked this painful memory from their minds,
Speaker 8: of ignoring the heartfelt cries of their flesh and blood,
Speaker 8: of hearing the screams of their brother begging to save him,
Speaker 8: and turning their backs on him. But then when they
Speaker 8: felt their own pain and feared for their own lives,
Speaker 8: they did recall Joseph's pain and how he cried to
Speaker 8: them from the pit, and how they didn't listen. It
Speaker 8: can be hard to feel someone else's pain, and sometimes
Speaker 8: we only understand that pain and we felt our own.
Speaker 8: Here in the Holy Land and all around the world,
Speaker 8: the Fellowship works very hard every day to feel the
Speaker 8: pain of others and to act to take away that pain.
Speaker 8: To hear someone crying for food and to go and
Speaker 8: provide it. To hear mothers begging for baby formula, and
Speaker 8: to go and give it to her, even if it's
Speaker 8: in the middle of a war zone, even if rockets
Speaker 8: are falling. We're there to comfort the needy. There are
Speaker 8: millions of people of faith who support us and help
Speaker 8: us in this holy and I pray that they are
Speaker 8: blessed not to have to experience the same pain in
Speaker 8: their own lives that too often are faced by those
Speaker 8: people that we help. So how does Joseph's story apply
Speaker 8: to us? First, like Joseph, let's trust in God. We
Speaker 8: all face trials, betrayals, and heartache. But like Joseph, we
Speaker 8: can trust that God is at work in the middle
Speaker 8: of it all with the perfect plan of redemption. Second,
Speaker 8: let's pursue reconciliation. Think about the people have hurt you.
Speaker 8: It's easy to hold onto anger and bitterness, but Joseph's
Speaker 8: story calls us to a higher path, to forgive, to
Speaker 8: seek reconciliation even when it's hard. I think of the
Speaker 8: righteous gentile Dietrich Bonhoeffer, murdered by the Nazis and a
Speaker 8: concentration campt just days before liberation. Pastor Bonhoeffer once said,
Speaker 8: we must learn to regard people less in the light
Speaker 8: of what they do or omit to do, and more
Speaker 8: in the light of what they suffer. This perspective from
Speaker 8: a brave man of faith who truly suffered for what
Speaker 8: he believed can be applied to all of our lives,
Speaker 8: can't it. Remember, each of our stories is still being
Speaker 8: written and in God's hands. Every chapter, no matter how painful,
Speaker 8: leads to a redemptive conclusion. Trust in His sovereignty, embrace
Speaker 8: the path of reconciliation, and find hope in the unfolding
Speaker 8: story of His grace and blessings.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with the Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pray
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This prey dog comproduction is only
Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of Creative Time All.
Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein,
Speaker 1: Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier,
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