Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. The minute Jacob heard those
Speaker 1: cries from the other side of the tent, he ran in.
Speaker 1: His son cried in Rachel's arms. He was the most
Speaker 1: beautiful thing Jacob had ever seen. Finally he had a
Speaker 1: child born.
Speaker 2: From love, My son, My son, I shall name you Joseph.
Speaker 2: The winter is approaching, and you've already grown out of
Speaker 2: your old coat. Your mother has been hard at work
Speaker 2: getting the material for this.
Speaker 1: Jacob took his hands off Joseph's eyes. In front of him,
Speaker 1: his mother held a long, flowing coat adorned with many colors.
Speaker 1: Since his father had given him so much favoritism, Joseph
Speaker 1: truly believed he was superior to them.
Speaker 3: He had the spectacular dream. We were binding sheaves in
Speaker 3: the field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright, and
Speaker 3: and then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down
Speaker 3: to my sheep.
Speaker 4: Are you to rule over us? Joseph?
Speaker 1: Joseph's dreams, once a source of personal pride, had become
Speaker 1: a point of contention among his family. His brother's hearts
Speaker 1: grew colder, their patients thinner, and as Joseph toiled in
Speaker 1: the fields, he could feel the weight of their resentment
Speaker 1: pressing down on him, a silent, unseen force waiting to strike.
Speaker 5: What is it about dreams that stir our souls? Is
Speaker 5: it their promise of glory or their shadow of danger?
Speaker 5: Or the way that they dance between hope and heartbreak?
Speaker 5: Shaloam from here in the Holy Land. I'm ya l
Speaker 5: extein with international fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome
Speaker 5: back to the Chosen People. In the ancient text of
Speaker 5: Genesis thirty seven, it tells such a tale of a
Speaker 5: young dreamer named Joseph. As you listen, ask yourself this,
Speaker 5: what are the dreams that lie dormant in your heart?
Speaker 5: Are they a source of life? Or do they threaten
Speaker 5: to unravel your whole world? This is the story of Joseph,
Speaker 5: his coat of many colors, and the dark road of
Speaker 5: betrayal that led him to the unknown.
Speaker 1: Joseph stared down at the slow moving stream. He dipped
Speaker 1: his hands into the floe, rubbing his neck with the
Speaker 1: river's chill. The sun was high and sweltering. Its harsh
Speaker 1: rays were tortuous, and Joseph was glad he did not
Speaker 1: have to shepherd the flocks to day, Resting his head
Speaker 1: on a smooth rock beside the stream. He let his
Speaker 1: foot dangle lazily in the water. Joseph closed his eyes,
Speaker 1: thoughts drifting to the dreams that had visited him the
Speaker 1: night before. Dreams of grandeur, of respect from his brothers,
Speaker 1: a respect he felt was deserved, though perhaps it was
Speaker 1: merely wishful thinking. Maybe all Joseph truly yearned for was
Speaker 1: their favor, A ruffle of the hair or a shared
Speaker 1: laugh by the fire. That's all he truly wanted. Blocking
Speaker 1: out the sun with his hand, he let himself drift
Speaker 1: into a blissful doze, flashes of his dreams playing in
Speaker 1: his mind, sheaves of grain bowing before him, the sun,
Speaker 1: moon and stars encircling him. Ah, just a dream, But
Speaker 1: it wasn't just a dream. Joseph's visions of grandeur may
Speaker 1: have been misplaced, but his dreams were not. They were
Speaker 1: a sign and a warning of things to come. Joseph
Speaker 1: awoke to his father's footsteps. Jacob made his way towards
Speaker 1: the street and playfully splashed Joseph with his walking stick.
Speaker 2: Lounging about while the others work. I see, if you
Speaker 2: want to rule the moon and the stars one day,
Speaker 2: you will need a stronger work ethic.
Speaker 6: Maybe I'll just disguise myself as Reuben and inherit all
Speaker 6: my riches.
Speaker 1: Jacob splashed Joseph in her face again. The two laughed,
Speaker 1: enjoying another moment of connection. Jacob's gaze turned serious as
Speaker 1: he looked towards the distant canyons.
Speaker 2: Your brothers should be pestering the Frocks, and it's shack
Speaker 2: him right now. We do not have good dealings with
Speaker 2: the people in Shechem.
Speaker 1: Jacob sighed and brought Joseph in close. The two walked
Speaker 1: from the stream back to the tents.
Speaker 2: Your brothers are not like you, Joseph. They are unruly
Speaker 2: and disobey me frequently. They don't fear God, and I
Speaker 2: do not trust them. I need you to go to
Speaker 2: Shechem and check.
Speaker 7: Up on them.
Speaker 2: Go there and bring me back a report.
Speaker 6: I met your will father, I'll go and return what
Speaker 6: I learned more.
Speaker 1: Joseph donned his new coat and set off towards Shechem,
Speaker 1: pulling the coat over his head to shield himself from
Speaker 1: the sun. The valley was blistering, but Shechem was known
Speaker 1: for its springs, where the sheep might drink. Perhaps his
Speaker 1: brothers had sought relief in the pools. He passed by
Speaker 1: the springs, but saw no sign of them. He went
Speaker 1: to the fields where the sheep was supposed to be,
Speaker 1: yet again found no trace of them.
Speaker 7: Or his brothers.
Speaker 1: Joseph walked for miles, the sun descending from its zenith,
Speaker 1: the heat of the day beginning to wane. He took
Speaker 1: refuge under a tree, wiping sweat from his brow.
Speaker 6: Ah, perhaps they've gone again to Tymna.
Speaker 1: His brothers, though mischievous and unruly, were never irresponsible. Joseph
Speaker 1: admired them, longing to be part of their camaraderie. Yet
Speaker 1: his father's favoritism alienated him from them. Their jealousy a
Speaker 1: constant barrier under the shade. Joseph's sighed, considering abandoning his search.
Speaker 1: Then a man approached with a small herd of goats.
Speaker 8: You aren't from around here, are you.
Speaker 6: No, I'm from the house of Jacob. Have you seen
Speaker 6: a large flock of sheep with ten herders. They're my brothers,
Speaker 6: and they're supposed to be here in the hills of Shechem.
Speaker 4: Ah.
Speaker 8: Yes, yes, there was a loud group of men that
Speaker 8: came through these hills. I had to take my goods elsewhere,
Speaker 8: Since the flock was so large and.
Speaker 6: Unruly excellent, where might I find them? Did you see
Speaker 6: which direction they went?
Speaker 8: I overheard them saying about Dothan. One of them was
Speaker 8: rather loud and seemed to lead the rest.
Speaker 6: Oh, Judah, thank you, sir.
Speaker 1: Joseph bowed to the herder and ran towards Dothan, his long,
Speaker 1: lean legs swiftly carrying him towards the canyons. Dothan was
Speaker 1: close nestled in a valley surrounded by canyons and hills.
Speaker 1: Joseph quickly worked the trails, climbing over.
Speaker 7: Rocks with grace and ease.
Speaker 1: Even at seventeen, he stood taller than most of his
Speaker 1: brothers save for Reuben and Judah. He hopped from one
Speaker 1: stone to another with the swiftness of a mountain goat.
Speaker 1: He hoisted himself onto a rock at the canyon's edge,
Speaker 1: overlooking the valley. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows.
Speaker 1: Joseph scanned the valley, spotting the large flock of sheep,
Speaker 1: but not his brothers. He descended the mountain wall, following
Speaker 1: a narrow shaded trail. The brothers lurked in the shadows.
Speaker 4: Oh, just as expected. Of course, Father sent him to
Speaker 4: spy on us. His little dog will do anything for
Speaker 4: a pet on the head.
Speaker 6: Perhaps he'll fall off the edge. That would solve all
Speaker 6: our problems.
Speaker 1: The rest of the brothers laughed, all except Reuben. He
Speaker 1: could send something corrupt brewing from within the group. Simeon
Speaker 1: stood to his feet and pointed back at Joseph.
Speaker 6: What's keeping us from just putting an end to him?
Speaker 6: Are we really going to wait for father to die
Speaker 6: and give his entire inheritance to the youngest?
Speaker 7: Ash's head perked up.
Speaker 3: Would Father really do that?
Speaker 4: Of course he would. Father was the youngest. Remember he
Speaker 4: sympathized us with the boy. Look at the coat he's wearing.
Speaker 4: When has Father ever given you something of that much worth?
Speaker 6: It would be so easy just to blame it on
Speaker 6: a wild animal. These canyons are filled with wolves. You
Speaker 6: could kill him and no one would ever find him.
Speaker 1: The brothers began to stir. What began as small jokes
Speaker 1: had turned into a serious conversation. As Joseph continued to
Speaker 1: approach the bottom of the hill, the groups resolved to
Speaker 1: harm him increased.
Speaker 7: Reuben was growing uneasy.
Speaker 1: He was the eldest and had the most to lose
Speaker 1: from Joseph's prominence. But he wasn't petting and spiteful like
Speaker 1: his childish younger brothers.
Speaker 7: Brothers, you don't want his blood on your hands. Throw
Speaker 7: him in one of these pits.
Speaker 2: We'll teach you my lesson if he dies, and there
Speaker 2: he dies by at least you.
Speaker 7: Were not one to kill him.
Speaker 1: Reuben's suggestion was a calculated attempt to save Joseph's life.
Speaker 1: Although Reuben was the eldest, Judah held the sway and influence.
Speaker 1: If he could persuade them to leave Joseph in a pit,
Speaker 1: he could rescue him later.
Speaker 4: Here he comes, We'll see what comes of his dreams now.
Speaker 1: Joseph finally hopped off the last stone leading to the trail.
Speaker 1: The canyons blocked out the sun and provided some wealth
Speaker 1: welcomed shade. He jogged down the trail, expecting to find
Speaker 1: his brothers on the other end of the tunnel like structure. However,
Speaker 1: Joseph could hear a stirring in the shadows. He stopped
Speaker 1: and turned. Whispers echoed through the canyons.
Speaker 3: Who's there, the dreamer is here?
Speaker 1: The voice mocked from the darkness. Joseph looked over to
Speaker 1: see Judah emerging from a crack in the mountain. The
Speaker 1: other brothers appeared from the shadows behind him. Their eyes
Speaker 1: portrayed an ancient evil that had plagued humanity since the
Speaker 1: very beginning. They revealed a deep wickedness that had been
Speaker 1: brewing since the first family. The heart of Cain, who
Speaker 1: murdered his brother Abel, was beating in the sons of Jacob.
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, baby brother?
Speaker 7: Are you afraid?
Speaker 1: Joseph gulped. There was no escaping what was about to come.
Speaker 1: His eyes darted toward the trail. He sprinted forward, only
Speaker 1: to be stopped by his brothers and shoved back into
Speaker 1: the middle of the circle. They closed in on him.
Speaker 1: Simeon plunged forward for the first blow, right to the draw.
Speaker 1: Joseph recoiled and stumbled back, only to be shoved to
Speaker 1: the ground by Levi. His brothers pounced on him, tearing
Speaker 1: the coat right off his body. Their kicks seemed endless
Speaker 1: Joseph could feel his ribs cracking under the pressure of
Speaker 1: their blows.
Speaker 6: No stop, someone, help, help, help.
Speaker 1: Me, Joseph cried, but his brothers were too enraged to
Speaker 1: give mercy. Judah picked Joseph up by his hair and
Speaker 1: held his face tightly.
Speaker 4: Ah, tell me, Joseph, in all your dreaming, did you
Speaker 4: ever imagine this?
Speaker 1: Tears streamed down Joseph's face. He couldn't speak, he could
Speaker 1: barely breathe. Judah threw him against the rocks. Joseph lay
Speaker 1: there helplessly. His brothers were filled with spite. They took
Speaker 1: his limp and mangled body and threw him into an
Speaker 1: empty pit. Joseph tumbled down fifteen feet, hitting the cold
Speaker 1: dirt below. A cloud of dust rose in the air.
Speaker 1: As Joseph's body hid the ground, he gasped for breath,
Speaker 1: coughing up blood and dirt. Joseph rolled onto his back,
Speaker 1: seeing the silhouetted faces of his brothers above. His eyes
Speaker 1: were growing dim and the light from above was slipping
Speaker 1: from his sight. Feeling broken and abandoned, Joseph closed his eyes.
Speaker 1: All was dark. The sons of Israel still fumed with adrenaline.
Speaker 1: They looked down at Joseph lying motionless in the pit.
Speaker 1: They spat down the pit and turned back to their flock.
Speaker 1: They sat in the fields, enjoying a meal. As they
Speaker 1: broke apart their bread and drank from their wine skins,
Speaker 1: they considered what to do with Joseph.
Speaker 4: Oh, thanks, what do we do now? Rubin? It was
Speaker 4: your idea to leave him in the pit. If we
Speaker 4: leave him there, I mean you'll either die or escape.
Speaker 4: Mean do we risk either?
Speaker 7: Leave him? For now?
Speaker 9: We will go back home and consider what to do
Speaker 9: with him. Perhaps we will be consumed by beasts tonight,
Speaker 9: we won't have to light a father.
Speaker 1: Reuben was planning on saving Joseph later that night. He
Speaker 1: just needed his brothers gone. Ruben stood to his feet
Speaker 1: and stretched, Ah.
Speaker 9: Ah, brothers, I'm going to sell a few of our
Speaker 9: sheep to the nearby shearers. I'll be back shortly. Then
Speaker 9: we can go home and decide what to do with Joseph.
Speaker 1: The brothers nodded, and Reuben left down the trail to
Speaker 1: go barter with the nearby merchants. Judah sat alone on
Speaker 1: a stone, looking intently at the canyons where they left Joseph.
Speaker 1: His stare was intense and unyielding. His chest swelled with
Speaker 1: jealous rage. He was completely gripped with hatred. At the
Speaker 1: corner of his eye, Judah could see some Ishmaelits coming
Speaker 1: from Gilead. They had camels bearing gum, balm and spices.
Speaker 1: Judah recognized these merchants. He had seen them in the
Speaker 1: darker parts of the city. He knew these men were
Speaker 1: more than spice merchants. They were slave traders. Judah stood
Speaker 1: up and skipped a few stones on the nearby creek.
Speaker 7: Reuben is naive.
Speaker 1: The brothers perked their ears to him and listened.
Speaker 4: He thinks he can save Joseph to gain favor with Father.
Speaker 4: He's short sighted. That boy will steal his birthright, or worse,
Speaker 4: Father will give it to him on a platter.
Speaker 6: Judah, we will be banished if Father finds out what
Speaker 6: we did.
Speaker 4: We could kill him blame it on some animals or raiders,
Speaker 4: but that would profit us nothing. Huh, my brothers, how
Speaker 4: would you all like a shining new coat like Joseph's.
Speaker 4: Why don't we sell him? There are spice merchants a
Speaker 4: few yards from the town entrance. I happen to know
Speaker 4: that they are slave traders. Joseph is a strong young man.
Speaker 4: They would pay us a handsome sum of money for him.
Speaker 1: The brothers were silent for a long moment. They were
Speaker 1: beginning to realize what they had done. There was no
Speaker 1: turning back. They either needed to kill him or sell
Speaker 1: him away. If they didn't, they would risk their father
Speaker 1: finding out. The brothers looked up at Judah as their
Speaker 1: appointed leader and nodded. Judah smiled and walked over to
Speaker 1: the Ishmaelites. Judah approached them with his arms wide open,
Speaker 1: His charming smile shone in the setting sun. Judah was
Speaker 1: a charismatic man. He was clever like his father, but
Speaker 1: lacked the humility gain through years of struggle and wrestling.
Speaker 4: My friends, I have an offer for you.
Speaker 1: The Ishmaelites turned their attention to Judah. He sauntered to
Speaker 1: their camels and began to stroke their noses.
Speaker 4: I know you are spice traders, but I hear you
Speaker 4: deal in much rarer items as well.
Speaker 7: Is that true?
Speaker 1: Before Judah could continue, he found himself pinned to the ground,
Speaker 1: blades at his throat. Their leader stood over him, a tall,
Speaker 1: dark man with a slender frame and a crooked face.
Speaker 6: Do not toy with us, son of Jacob.
Speaker 7: We know your father is.
Speaker 2: Tell us your offer nothing more. We want little to
Speaker 2: do with you and your family.
Speaker 1: Judah coughed and winced on the ground. The brothers ran
Speaker 1: towards him, but promptly stopped when they saw their blades drawn.
Speaker 1: Still on the floor, Judah raised his hands and pointed north.
Speaker 4: Oh, okay, okay. Light. Lying in a pit just north
Speaker 4: of here, there was a young young man. He's seventeen.
Speaker 4: He's strong, lean and able to work. What what will
Speaker 4: you give us for?
Speaker 1: The Ishmael Lights sheathed their swords, discussing amongst themselves. Their
Speaker 1: leader peered back at Judah, his expression calculating. The sun
Speaker 1: was setting, and Judah's brothers grew anxious, knowing Reuben would
Speaker 1: soon return. Finally, the leader approached, gesturing toward the canyons.
Speaker 2: If the boys healthy and able bodied, we'll give you
Speaker 2: twenty shekels of silver.
Speaker 1: Judah looked back at his brothers. They hadn't imagined having
Speaker 1: such wealth. He shook hands with the Ishmael Light, leading
Speaker 1: them to the pit where Joseph lay trapped. Hours had
Speaker 1: passed since Joseph hit the jagged rocks below. Every breath
Speaker 1: was a struggle, each inhalation a stab of pain. He
Speaker 1: leaned against the cold stone wall, his lips parched, his
Speaker 1: tongue swollen. He looked up, seeing the sky painted in
Speaker 1: deep red hues as the sun set, Tears streamed down
Speaker 1: his dusty face.
Speaker 6: Oh God, what have I done to deserve this? Did
Speaker 6: you just give me these dreams to mark me?
Speaker 1: Toying with me?
Speaker 7: Why?
Speaker 1: Joseph was met with silence. The crimson clouds above rolled
Speaker 1: faster to the evening wind. Joseph gave blankly at the
Speaker 1: small opening where he had been thrown in. He desperately
Speaker 1: wanted to believe that one of his brothers would come.
Speaker 7: To save him.
Speaker 1: As he looked above, he saw a rope fall down
Speaker 1: through the entrance and fall down at his feet. Hope
Speaker 1: flickered in his heart. Perhaps Reuben had returned with mercy.
Speaker 1: He tied the rope around his waist, using what little
Speaker 1: strength he had to climb. Joseph stood at the pit's
Speaker 1: edge and saw his brothers a few feet away. Relief
Speaker 1: washed over him. He had thought they had abandoned him.
Speaker 1: He limped towards them, smiling, but a rope was thrown
Speaker 1: around his neck, yanking him back.
Speaker 7: He fell, gasping for.
Speaker 1: Air, his legs kicking in desperation. Tied to the end
Speaker 1: of a camel, Joseph looked up to see the tall,
Speaker 1: slender man looming over him. The ishmaelike leader grabbed Joseph's jaw,
Speaker 1: examining him with invasive force.
Speaker 2: Ah, try and do pieces of silver, Asley agreed.
Speaker 1: Joseph watched his brothers walk away one by one. The
Speaker 1: last was Judah, who lingered in silence, watching Joseph cart
Speaker 1: it off like livestock. Joseph's cries for help were choked
Speaker 1: by the tight rope. Tears filled his eyes, his heart
Speaker 1: heavy with betrayal. The sun said, the stars taking its place.
Speaker 1: As Joseph was taken towards Egypt, a slave's fate waiting him.
Speaker 1: He kept his gaze fixed south toward Canaan, the land
Speaker 1: he was leaving behind, the home that had betrayed him.
Speaker 1: Reuben returned to find his brothers near the canyon. He
Speaker 1: looked into the pit and saw that it was empty,
Speaker 1: His heart filled with bitter regret.
Speaker 2: Where is he?
Speaker 1: None of the brothers answered. They allowed him to mourn.
Speaker 1: At the entrance of the pit. Simeon stood next to
Speaker 1: him and put his hand on his shoulder. He pulled
Speaker 1: out two silver shekels and handed them to him.
Speaker 6: What's done is done, Reuben, it was out of your hands.
Speaker 6: Here take your share.
Speaker 1: Simeon tossed him his share of the spoils. Reuben gripped
Speaker 1: the coins, their weight heavy in his hand. He realized
Speaker 1: his grave mistake. His attempt to outsmart his brothers had failed.
Speaker 1: Joseph was gone. Reuben sighed, tossing the coins into the pit,
Speaker 1: there clanging, echoing. He took his staff and some sheep,
Speaker 1: leaving his brothers and their conspiracy behind and walking back
Speaker 1: to their father. The others slaughtered a sheep, splattering its
Speaker 1: blood on Joseph's coat, tearing it to pieces and soiling
Speaker 1: it with dirt. With melancholy faces, they returned to Jacob. Judah, Simeon,
Speaker 1: and Levi entered Jacob's tent first, carrying the mangled robe
Speaker 1: as if it were a dying child. They bowed before Jacob,
Speaker 1: their eyes filled with feigned sorrow.
Speaker 4: Father, we found this by the Kenyons near shechem Is.
Speaker 7: Sir, is this Joseph's.
Speaker 1: Jacob stood, taking the coat in his hands, shock and
Speaker 1: anguish filling his face. He walked outside, falling to his knees,
Speaker 1: pressing the bloody coat to his face. My son, my son,
Speaker 1: Jacob was inconsolable. His remaining sons tried to comfort.
Speaker 7: Him, but he refused.
Speaker 1: He tore his clothes and screamed to the heavens. He
Speaker 1: looked up with bloodshot eyes and bodies shaking with grief.
Speaker 4: My morning will not cease until I joined my beloved son,
Speaker 4: the gray.
Speaker 1: Jacob buried his head in the dirt. His cries were deep, bellowing,
Speaker 1: and heavy.
Speaker 7: They shook the earth beneath him.
Speaker 5: I once heard a story about a large battleship out
Speaker 5: at sea, and the ship encountered severe weather, and the
Speaker 5: captain received a report that a light had been spotted ahead.
Speaker 5: Is it steady or moving? The captain called out, steady, captain.
Speaker 5: The lookout replied the ship was on a collision course.
Speaker 5: The captain sent a message to the vessel a head
Speaker 5: warning we are in a collision course. It advised you
Speaker 5: to change course twenty degrees, But the reply that came
Speaker 5: back said, advisable for you to change course twenty degrees.
Speaker 5: The captain was furious. I'm a battleship. He replied, you
Speaker 5: changed course twenty degrees. The reply flashed back, I'm a lighthouse.
Speaker 6: Now.
Speaker 5: This story is kind of funny, but it also really
Speaker 5: illustrates how harmful it can be when we misjudge others,
Speaker 5: when we fail to understand who they truly are and
Speaker 5: what they're capable of, and when we judge too quickly,
Speaker 5: we can hurt others and ourselves. In today's Bible story,
Speaker 5: Joseph's brothers severely misjudged him. They heard him talk about
Speaker 5: his dreams, which implied that he would rule over the family.
Speaker 5: Then they saw him bring a bad report about them
Speaker 5: to their father. They concluded that Joseph was a bad seed,
Speaker 5: and they felt that it was their duty to get
Speaker 5: rid of him. The Bible tells us they saw him
Speaker 5: in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted
Speaker 5: to kill him. The problem was that the brothers saw
Speaker 5: Joseph from a distance. You see, they didn't really know
Speaker 5: him or understand who he was. The episodes that will
Speaker 5: unfold after this one will reveal Joseph's true character. He
Speaker 5: wasn't who his brothers thought he was. They passed judgment
Speaker 5: on Joseph from afar quote before he reached them end quote,
Speaker 5: meaning before they got close enough to truly know him.
Speaker 5: All too often, don't we make that same mistake. We
Speaker 5: judge people when we don't really know them, and this
Speaker 5: can lead to ruined relationships, missed friendships, and deeply hurt feelings. Really,
Speaker 5: there's so much more to every person than what we
Speaker 5: can possibly know. So instead of judging others from a distance,
Speaker 5: let's try to come to know them with kindness and
Speaker 5: to understand them, be compassionate to them, and even to
Speaker 5: love them. There's an ancient Jewish teaching that I want
Speaker 5: to share with you. It comes from puer quet At,
Speaker 5: a book of teachings from rabbis who lived around two
Speaker 5: thousand years ago near the end of the Second Temple.
Speaker 5: The rabbis taught that we must always quote judge every
Speaker 5: person to the side of merit end quote. On the surface,
Speaker 5: this may seem like a simple teaching, almost like saying
Speaker 5: we should be nice to people and not to assume
Speaker 5: the worst. But I want you to pay attention because
Speaker 5: there's a much deeper point here. The Hebrew word that
Speaker 5: they use for this verse of judge every person to
Speaker 5: the side of merit says in Hebrew kol ha adam,
Speaker 5: which is usually translated as every person. But let's clarify again,
Speaker 5: Kol ha adam literally translates as all the person, not
Speaker 5: just every person, but all the person. So the rabbis
Speaker 5: are really teaching us that we must learn to judge
Speaker 5: the whole person favorably. That when we see someone doing
Speaker 5: something questionable, our first thought maybe to judge them based
Speaker 5: on what we see, But we don't see the coal
Speaker 5: ha adam, the whole person. We don't see the background
Speaker 5: of the situation. We don't know what they're feeling inside
Speaker 5: that may have led them to this behavior. We only
Speaker 5: see what the person did, and we judge them based
Speaker 5: on that alone. But the rabbis remind us that we
Speaker 5: don't see the entire situation. I remember hearing a story
Speaker 5: of a man on a train. He was alone with
Speaker 5: three children, and the children were driving everyone crazy. They
Speaker 5: were yelling, they were screaming, they were running up and down,
Speaker 5: and the father wasn't doing anything to even ask them
Speaker 5: to be quiet or behave Everyone on the train was
Speaker 5: annoyed at these children that were just running crazy, and
Speaker 5: finally someone went up to the father and said, uh,
Speaker 5: excuse me, do you mind controlling your children. They're bothering everyone.
Speaker 5: The father looked at this person and said, oh, I'm sorry,
Speaker 5: you're right. We're just on the way back from the
Speaker 5: hospital where my wife and their mother just died. I
Speaker 5: guess I'm in a different world. I'm sorry about that. Suddenly,
Speaker 5: when on the train, understood that what was happening was
Speaker 5: a lot different, a lot broader than what they were seeing,
Speaker 5: and they were forced to judge cool HadAM the whole person,
Speaker 5: the whole story, the whole situation. When we define someone
Speaker 5: by their worst moments, we blind ourselves to the fullness
Speaker 5: of who they actually are, and in today's episode, Joseph's
Speaker 5: brothers did just that. When they saw Joseph coming, they
Speaker 5: decided to kill him. They resented Joseph because of his dreams,
Speaker 5: and rather than refer to their brother by name as Joseph,
Speaker 5: they called him quote that dreamer end quote. What they
Speaker 5: did by calling him that dreamer and not his name
Speaker 5: was that they were defining him by the behavior that
Speaker 5: they despised. They didn't look at the full story, at
Speaker 5: the full Joseph, And so today I think we have
Speaker 5: to learn from the mistake that Joseph's brothers made. Let's
Speaker 5: increase our love and tolerance for others, even in their
Speaker 5: worst moments. Let's strive to see the whole person they
Speaker 5: are and where they come from, from the pit to
Speaker 5: the palace, from despair to divine providence. Joseph's story is
Speaker 5: our story. It prefigures the path of our people out
Speaker 5: of Egypt. To speak more on that is the wise
Speaker 5: and wonderful Bishop Paulineer.
Speaker 10: Thank you so much. I want us to move swiftly
Speaker 10: through this second half of chapter thirty seven. It is
Speaker 10: so intense, and there's so much in my heart I
Speaker 10: want to speak into you.
Speaker 7: You know.
Speaker 10: It is a remarkable thing what God was doing in
Speaker 10: Joseph's life Jesus seventeen year old boy, and God is
Speaker 10: releasing into Joseph these profound prophetic dreams that all will
Speaker 10: be manifest and come to life. As God raises Joseph
Speaker 10: from the dungeons of Egypt and sits him as second
Speaker 10: in command, Joseph heres having to learn the hard lesson
Speaker 10: of living and walking in the anointing of God, that
Speaker 10: you can't always tell everybody what God is speaking into
Speaker 10: your own heart. Time and again we read in this
Speaker 10: chapter that Joseph's brothers.
Speaker 7: Hated him. That's horrible.
Speaker 10: We knowed as well, you and I that there are
Speaker 10: these typologies between the Joseph of the Hebrew scriptures and
Speaker 10: the Jesus of the Christian scriptures. And in the Gospel
Speaker 10: of On we read that there was a time when Jesus'
Speaker 10: own brothers didn't believe in him either. Joseph really didn't
Speaker 10: handle himself well at times with his brothers. Not only
Speaker 10: would he talk too much and tell too many about
Speaker 10: the good things God was doing, but then sometimes he
Speaker 10: would go to his father and share some of the
Speaker 10: bad things that his brothers were doing. There came a
Speaker 10: moment when Jacob sent his son out into the field
Speaker 10: to find his brothers. While he's wearing that special regal
Speaker 10: garment of preferential treatment. He travels some fifty miles from
Speaker 10: her Brown to Schechem, and there was someone there who
Speaker 10: was able to tell Joseph where his brothers actually were.
Speaker 10: And all the while, the pain inside of his brothers
Speaker 10: had mild deteriorated into a plot to kill Joseph, And
Speaker 10: when they saw him coming, they didn't really refer to
Speaker 10: Jacob's garment put on Joseph. Instead it was the anointing
Speaker 10: they resented. Wow, here comes the dreamer, they said, And
Speaker 10: they decided they wanted to kill him. But thankfully the
Speaker 10: brother Reuben stepped in and said, we can't kill him,
Speaker 10: after all, he is our brother. And another one said,
Speaker 10: why don't we just sell him and make money? And
Speaker 10: they did, and they sold him for twenty pieces of silver,
Speaker 10: again a typology. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver,
Speaker 10: isn't isn't this profound? This Judah one brother and Reuben,
Speaker 10: the brother who they were a part of the lord
Speaker 10: put a word of deliverance. We can't kill him, the
Speaker 10: word of deliverance. Why don't we sell him in to
Speaker 10: the mouth of somebody who was actually a part of
Speaker 10: the scheme to take him out? And they then stepped
Speaker 10: in and undermined what the enemy really wanted to do
Speaker 10: against Joseph. So they grabbed him and they threw him
Speaker 10: into a cistern that had no water, and in verse
Speaker 10: twenty five says that they sat down and had a
Speaker 10: meal together. Listen, this is terrible. Meal moments are intended
Speaker 10: to be covenant conversations, and later on you'll recall Joseph
Speaker 10: prepares a meal for them, much like Cain did with
Speaker 10: his own brother out in the field, they strategized a
Speaker 10: way to strip Joseph of his garment, a preferential treatment,
Speaker 10: and that coat of many colors given to him by
Speaker 10: his father, and this supreme status that Joseph held in
Speaker 10: the family. While the brothers and Joseph were out in
Speaker 10: the field, your Bible says, they grabbed Joseph and stripped
Speaker 10: him of that garment, and they threw him down and
Speaker 10: sewed him to a traveling caravan. And they took that coat,
Speaker 10: that covenant coat of many colors, and they drenched it
Speaker 10: in the blood of an animal. And then they ran
Speaker 10: home and told their father a lie that some wild
Speaker 10: animal had attacked Joseph and killed him, and that he
Speaker 10: was dead. And what those boys didn't know was your
Speaker 10: enemy might be able to tie you up in knots
Speaker 10: some times, and even throw you in a pit some times,
Speaker 10: but they can't bind up the word of God at
Speaker 10: work in your life. They might be able to kick
Speaker 10: you out of the house, but they cannot kick you
Speaker 10: out of the will of God. They might even be
Speaker 10: able to rip up that garment of preferential treatment or
Speaker 10: blessing and convince themselves that it's all over. But they
Speaker 10: they ain't got a clue of what God's already prepared
Speaker 10: for you and waiting for Joseph. And that coat of
Speaker 10: many colors is nothing compared to the garment Joseph's going
Speaker 10: to wear when he's sitting on the throne. The Midianites
Speaker 10: pulled Joseph out of the pit, and the Ishmaelites bought him,
Speaker 10: and the caravan of people you don't even know decides
Speaker 10: whether or not you're going to live or die, whether
Speaker 10: or not you're going to be fed or closed or brutalized.
Speaker 10: They don't even know what it is they're getting bit of.
Speaker 10: Had they known the anointing, really understood the blessing of
Speaker 10: God upon Joseph's life, your life, they would have kept him.
Speaker 7: They would have kept.
Speaker 10: You and used him. Listen, there's times you really wish God,
Speaker 10: you really wish God would just step up and release
Speaker 10: your spiritual gifts and let everybody see and know what
Speaker 10: He himself is doing in your life. And instead He
Speaker 10: just keeps you quiet for a sea and keeps you
Speaker 10: still while it seems that Hell itself just places Joseph
Speaker 10: and you one hold to another that anonymous caravan. But listen,
Speaker 10: before Jacob ever met Rachel, God had already assigned the
Speaker 10: caravan to drive that way that day and buy a slave.
Speaker 10: And when even your own family betrays you, God has
Speaker 10: assigned somebody to come down your road and carry you
Speaker 10: to your destiny. But here's the word for somebody listening
Speaker 10: to me right now.
Speaker 7: Listen.
Speaker 10: The favor of God is upon you so mightily. It's
Speaker 10: so thick that no one can deny it. You are
Speaker 10: cloaked in this coat of covenant. And rather than celebrate you,
Speaker 10: those closest to you sometimes are offended by you, or
Speaker 10: or threatened, or even conspire against us. But you need
Speaker 10: to know that your faithful God, who has favored you,
Speaker 10: has already assigned an anonymous somebody to come your way
Speaker 10: to be part of your deliverance and destiny. It might
Speaker 10: not feel I get it first. Understand. In fact, there
Speaker 10: might be chains in your story for a little while.
Speaker 10: Your persona might not be that of a prime minister,
Speaker 10: but prisoner. You might not get to eat what you
Speaker 10: want to eat when you want to eat it. But
Speaker 10: be faithful and just try to be quiet right now,
Speaker 10: because there's coming a day that nobody eats.
Speaker 1: Until you say so.
Speaker 7: Like Joseph.
Speaker 10: Time and again, the scripture says, in each of those situations,
Speaker 10: but the Lord was with Joseph, hallelujah. You might not
Speaker 10: be able to see the Lord in your situation, but
Speaker 10: he is the Lord of your situation, and he's hovering
Speaker 10: you right now, and he's keeping watch over the anointing.
Speaker 10: You can steal my coat, but you can't take my oil.
Speaker 10: You can steal my freedom, but you can't steal my oil.
Speaker 10: You can lie on me and accuse me unjustly, but
Speaker 10: you cannot steal my oil. You might put me in
Speaker 10: prison and lock me in chains and forget about me,
Speaker 10: but you cannot steal my oil. The anointing of God,
Speaker 10: you need to know, seldom changes your situation immediately, but
Speaker 10: both Heaven and Hell are are fully aware. When oil
Speaker 10: has been poured upon a man or woman of God,
Speaker 10: your oil will most often step up, not when God
Speaker 10: wants to bless you, but when He wants to use you.
Speaker 10: With this season, life is seen only through your rear
Speaker 10: view mirror. You're going to discover that those persons whose
Speaker 10: names you you can't even remember, were instrumental in taking
Speaker 10: you from one abuse or rejection to the next place
Speaker 10: and place of of assignment. Joseph's brothers accused him.
Speaker 7: They did.
Speaker 10: They assaulted him absolutely and abandoned him. I know, but
Speaker 10: God was right there keeping watch over his anointing. God
Speaker 10: has a way of bringing along a caravan a strangers
Speaker 10: who might not discern the oil of God upon your life,
Speaker 10: but who will carry you to your next place of destiny.
Speaker 10: They might never discern your gift at home, did you
Speaker 10: hear me, They'll discover it your assignment in Egypt. They
Speaker 10: might betray you today, but they'll bow to you tomorrow
Speaker 10: who never eat again. Listen, I'm praying for you.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
Speaker 1: add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only
Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Steve Evan Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
Speaker 1: com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on
Speaker 1: the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you
Speaker 1: enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and
Speaker 1: leave a review,