Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: I can't simply let them leave. The family will be
Speaker 2: deadly for more years to come. They won't survive on
Speaker 2: their own. They need me.
Speaker 3: Ah, yes, sir, they need your help. But the question
Speaker 3: you're asking is do they deserve your help?
Speaker 1: Every cruelty, every hardship had been redeemed by God turned
Speaker 1: into a tapestry of grace and purpose. Could the same
Speaker 1: be true for his brothers?
Speaker 2: Perhaps they must go through a test of their own.
Speaker 1: It was at that moment Joseph had an idea. An
Speaker 1: idea began to form in his mind, a way to
Speaker 1: test their hearts and reveal their true nature.
Speaker 2: This is my Lord's coup.
Speaker 4: Do you not know that this is the cop he
Speaker 4: uses for prophecy.
Speaker 5: Perhaps you desire to steal this for his gifts.
Speaker 6: I didn't do that.
Speaker 4: I don't know how it got there.
Speaker 2: Please you must.
Speaker 4: Believe yes, no, it must be a mistake.
Speaker 2: I am the voice that speaks for God, the deliverer
Speaker 2: of this lad and the one who conquered the blights.
Speaker 2: And you, Hebrews, dare steal from me.
Speaker 1: Please believe me.
Speaker 2: I did nothing seize the boy.
Speaker 1: They took Benjamin and began to drag him away, but
Speaker 1: the brothers rebelled. They were quickly beaten down by the
Speaker 1: gods and held in place.
Speaker 4: Take me instead.
Speaker 1: Joseph's heart stopped beating when he heard the words fall
Speaker 1: from Judah's lips.
Speaker 2: What did you say.
Speaker 7: In the face of betrayal? Joseph chose forgiveness, writing a
Speaker 7: wonderful news story from one of brokenness. Cello, my friends,
Speaker 7: from here in the holy Land of Israel, Amya l
Speaker 7: Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and
Speaker 7: welcome to the Chosen People. Each day we'll hear a
Speaker 7: dramatic story inspired by the Bible, stories filled with timeless
Speaker 7: lessons of faith, love, and the meaning of life. Do
Speaker 7: me a favor and take a moment today to follow
Speaker 7: the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend.
Speaker 7: These steps may seem small, but in a crowded world
Speaker 7: of podcasting, they actually make a huge impact. Thank you
Speaker 7: so much for making this holy mission impossible. Now let's begin.
Speaker 7: Have you ever felt the sting of betrayal by those
Speaker 7: that you hold dear? In this episode, we journey through
Speaker 7: Genesis forty five and feel this sting. We feel the
Speaker 7: raw pain of a family torn apart, hearts shattered by
Speaker 7: envy and deception. But then we also experience the miraculous
Speaker 7: power of God's mercy. Joseph's story makes us ask ourselves,
Speaker 7: are we capable of forgiveness when faced with past wrongs? Now,
Speaker 7: let's explore the mystery of mercy and the bravery that
Speaker 7: it takes to forgive.
Speaker 2: Seize the boy.
Speaker 1: They took Benjamin and began to drag him away, but
Speaker 1: the brothers rebelled. They were quickly beaten down by the
Speaker 1: guards and held in place. No Judah ran after Benjamin,
Speaker 1: only to be struck by one of the gods. His
Speaker 1: face hid the stone floor. He winced in pain, and
Speaker 1: blood ran down his temple. The entire room was silent.
Speaker 1: The other brothers had spears to their necks and watched
Speaker 1: helplessly as Judah stood back up to his feet. He
Speaker 1: wiped his chin and ran back towards Benjamin again. Again,
Speaker 1: he was struck in the head and returned to the floor.
Speaker 1: Judah lay there on the floor. Joseph did nothing. He
Speaker 1: watched his older brother desperately try and fight for Benjamin's life.
Speaker 1: Judah began to weep on the floor. He stood legs
Speaker 1: quivering and face swollen.
Speaker 4: Hats half burse his life is bound up with my
Speaker 4: father's life.
Speaker 2: Why is your father's life a concern of mine?
Speaker 1: Blood dripped down Judah's head as he looked Joseph in
Speaker 1: the eyes. Joseph noticed something profoundly different in Judah, something
Speaker 1: he had not yet noticed. Pain, years and years of pain.
Speaker 1: Behind Judah's eyes was the shame of his past sins.
Speaker 1: It was he who had decided to sell Joseph into slavery.
Speaker 1: He was the one who led the brothers against him.
Speaker 1: Since then he had lived a life of regret and anguish.
Speaker 1: Judah shook his head and lifted his arms to Joseph
Speaker 1: with labored breathing. Judah begged if taken me instead. Joseph's
Speaker 1: heart stopped beating when he heard the words fall from
Speaker 1: Judah's lips.
Speaker 2: What did you say?
Speaker 4: Have me remain as a slave on Benjamin's bath, Let
Speaker 4: me suffer so you can live.
Speaker 2: You don't mean that I do take me.
Speaker 4: Take my life if you must, Benjamin, whether innocent or guilty,
Speaker 4: must return, I will. I will give my life up
Speaker 4: as ransom PRIs.
Speaker 1: Judah fell to his knees and crawled to Joseph's feet,
Speaker 1: with his arms stretched outward, he gave himself up to
Speaker 1: suffer so the one he loved could live. He would
Speaker 1: take on the bondage so his brother could be free.
Speaker 1: It was in that moment that Joseph knew in his
Speaker 1: heart that Judah and the rest of his brothers had
Speaker 1: truly changed. The heart of God had reached them. Judah's
Speaker 1: sacrifice pierced through Joseph's hardened heart. The damn of his
Speaker 1: emotions broke, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He raised
Speaker 1: his voice, trembling with raw emotion.
Speaker 8: Leave us.
Speaker 1: The guards lowered their spears and departed, followed by the servants.
Speaker 1: Even Asanath and their two sons retreated into their chambers,
Speaker 1: Joseph stepped forward, his arms open, tears flowing freely.
Speaker 2: You won't be a slave, Judah.
Speaker 1: Joseph's voice cracked with emotion. He slowly raised his hand
Speaker 1: and removed his head dress, letting his brown curls fall
Speaker 1: across his forehead. He knelt before Judah, who kept his
Speaker 1: head bowed in shame. For a long moment, they remained
Speaker 1: there in the silence, the weight of years pressing down
Speaker 1: upon them.
Speaker 2: 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 2: Who are is you? You know who I am?
Speaker 5: Joseph?
Speaker 2: Oh no, it can I am your brother, Joseph.
Speaker 1: The brothers gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief. They saw
Speaker 1: Joseph's familiar amber eyes and brown curls. They heard his voice,
Speaker 1: speaking in their native tongue. The realization struck them like
Speaker 1: a thunderbolt. Before them stood their long lost brother, the
Speaker 1: one they had betrayed and abandoned. Judah's bloodied face trembled
Speaker 1: at the sight of him.
Speaker 8: Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.
Speaker 2: Yes, Judah, Yes, Judah, it's me. It's me. Is my
Speaker 2: father still alive?
Speaker 6: Is he well?
Speaker 2: How are the flocks? How are your children?
Speaker 1: The brothers were stunned into silence. The breath had been
Speaker 1: stolen from their lungs. They backed away in fear, as
Speaker 1: if seeing a ghost. To them, Joseph had been dead
Speaker 1: for years, yet here he stood, resurrected from the grave
Speaker 1: they had buried him in.
Speaker 2: Don't be afraid, you can come near me.
Speaker 1: The brothers inched closer. Their heads bowed with regret. Seeing
Speaker 1: Joseph's face filled them with a mixture of joy and shame.
Speaker 1: The brother they had once sold in to slavery was
Speaker 1: now the second most powerful man in the known world.
Speaker 1: Yet he knelt before them as an equal, tears in
Speaker 1: his eyes, joy in his voice.
Speaker 8: Look at me, Judah, Oh.
Speaker 2: Look at me. Look at everything you see around you.
Speaker 2: Egypt is saved from famine because of what God has done.
Speaker 2: Do not hold your heads low in shame because you
Speaker 2: sold me here. God send me here to preserve life.
Speaker 2: He knew that one day a famine would endanger the land,
Speaker 2: and one of us would have to prepare the way
Speaker 2: to deliverance.
Speaker 1: Judah's shame melted under the warmth of Joseph's mercy. Slowly
Speaker 1: he embraced his brother, tears mingling with the blood on
Speaker 1: his face.
Speaker 2: I guess we ended up bowing to you after all.
Speaker 2: You see, that's it. You didn't send me here, brothers,
Speaker 2: it was God all along. He has made me lord
Speaker 2: of all Egypt.
Speaker 1: Reuben, standing a few feet away, was stoic and still,
Speaker 1: his head low and his countenance weary. Joseph approached him,
Speaker 1: placing his hands on Reuben's shoulders, my eldest brother.
Speaker 2: For years you are my only ally. I knew you
Speaker 2: felt that you had failed me. But take heart, for
Speaker 2: God has redeemed everything.
Speaker 1: Reuben crumbled into Joseph's arms, the weight of his regret lifting.
Speaker 1: He had carried the burden of failing to protect his brother,
Speaker 1: but now he felt the healing touch of God's grace.
Speaker 1: Joseph raised his voice to his brother's.
Speaker 2: I am here for a reason. Brothers, this famine will
Speaker 2: continue to blight the land and strip it of all life.
Speaker 2: There is no survival outside the border of Egypt. Come here,
Speaker 2: stay with me, and I will protect you. Go now
Speaker 2: to father and tell him his son Joseph is alive.
Speaker 2: Tell him to bring everyone here so we might begin anew.
Speaker 3: How long will this famine last, Joseph, Have you not
Speaker 3: given us enough grain to wait out the worst of it?
Speaker 2: This famine will go on for another five years. It
Speaker 2: will only get worse. Please come under my wing and
Speaker 2: allow me to redeem you from harm. I will provide
Speaker 2: all that you need for your families. Bring your flocks
Speaker 2: and herds, Bring your children and their children together, we
Speaker 2: shall prosper in this land.
Speaker 4: My brother, is here, So we choose the path of Abraham.
Speaker 4: We flee to Egypt and away from the land God
Speaker 4: promised us.
Speaker 2: For a time. Yes, then when we have recovered, we
Speaker 2: will return all of us.
Speaker 1: The brothers agreed, making plans to return home and deliver
Speaker 1: the news to their father. They were in awe of
Speaker 1: Joseph's wisdom and favor with God. He was not the
Speaker 1: arrogant child they had once hated. The hardships he had
Speaker 1: endured had softened his heart and sharpened his character. Before
Speaker 1: them stood a leader worth Following that night, they spoke
Speaker 1: as brothers. They laughed and shared stories. The sons of
Speaker 1: Israel were united again under the bond of love and
Speaker 1: a shared vision for the future.
Speaker 6: What was it like being a slave here?
Speaker 2: I would lay awake good night dreaming about Canaan. I
Speaker 2: closed my eyes and thought about the rolling hills and
Speaker 2: green pastures. I thought about the stream that flowed beside
Speaker 2: the fields of grain. I would often try and remember
Speaker 2: the sound of father's laughter beside the fire, and the
Speaker 2: smell of mother's hair.
Speaker 7: Then they meet you, a ruler.
Speaker 2: I worked hard, diligently, and God gave me favor In
Speaker 2: all I did. I became the steward over the captain's household.
Speaker 2: First that I found myself in prison for over five
Speaker 2: years for crime I didn't commit. It was in that
Speaker 2: place where God truly showed me what dreams are really for.
Speaker 1: Joseph felt himself growing more aware of God's faithfulness in
Speaker 1: his life. He closed his eyes and leaned against Benjamin.
Speaker 1: Joseph recounted his life from slavery up until that point
Speaker 1: in great detail to his brothers. They were enthralled by
Speaker 1: his story. They were finally able to see how God
Speaker 1: had used the imperfect and wicked intentions of his brothers
Speaker 1: to accomplish something great. Simeon grinned and chuckled. The rest
Speaker 1: of the group wondered at what was so amusing.
Speaker 3: We hated you for your dreams, Joseph. We couldn't stand
Speaker 3: this of bowing to you. We knew that you were special,
Speaker 3: and we hated that you knew you were special too.
Speaker 3: Yet here we are, and the entire world is bowing
Speaker 3: down to you. God had chosen you from the very beginning.
Speaker 1: The other brothers nodded in agreement. Their hatred of him
Speaker 1: was fueled by ancient and prevailing sins jealousy, favoritism, and pride.
Speaker 1: Joseph's arrogance, coupled with Jacob's favoritism made for a perfect
Speaker 1: storm of spite and backbiting. However, Joseph now stood before
Speaker 1: them as a humble king, an honest ruler. He was
Speaker 1: a man worthy of praise and admiration, and they were
Speaker 1: proud to call him their brother and king. They spoke
Speaker 1: into the night, sharing their stories and reconnecting. Joseph's children
Speaker 1: met their uncles, and he listened earnestly as each others
Speaker 1: spoke of their families. He had missed so much, the
Speaker 1: birth of nephews and nieces, the death of his mother,
Speaker 1: and watching his father grow old. Yet as they talked,
Speaker 1: Joseph felt as though he was regaining the years that
Speaker 1: had been stolen from him. The hardened part of his
Speaker 1: heart began to soften. Though surrounded by the splendors of
Speaker 1: a palace, he had always felt imprisoned, but now he
Speaker 1: dwelled in the palace of forgiveness. It was growing late,
Speaker 1: and Joseph was keenly aware that Pharaoh would have to
Speaker 1: be notified of everything that had transpired. Joseph gathered his
Speaker 1: brothers once again, in the morning.
Speaker 2: I will speak to Pharaoh on your behalf. I will
Speaker 2: secure a place for you here in Egypt. Once I do,
Speaker 2: you can leave and go get farther. Do you think
Speaker 2: he'll survive the journey?
Speaker 4: Knowing you'll get to see you will age him back
Speaker 4: ten years, I'm sure of it.
Speaker 1: That night, Joseph sank into his bed and slept. It
Speaker 1: was asleep unlike any other. He was free from the
Speaker 1: burdens of his past and finally able to rest. The
Speaker 1: next morning, Joseph entered the courts of Pharaoh. The gentle
Speaker 1: rays of dawn stretched over the palace, painting the tiled
Speaker 1: steps in brilliant colors. Joseph was always a welcomed guest,
Speaker 1: greeted with the highest honor. Dancers swayed in the halls
Speaker 1: to elegant music, and an array of food was laid
Speaker 1: out for him and Pharaoh to dine together.
Speaker 9: Zephoneth Peneia, to what do I owe the honor of
Speaker 9: your presence?
Speaker 1: Pharaoh gestured for Joseph to sit at a table in
Speaker 1: the courtyard just outside the throne room. Dried fruits, nuts,
Speaker 1: and cheeses were arrayed for the two of them to
Speaker 1: dine together, Joseph reclined and took a bite from a
Speaker 1: dried fig. Pharaoh sat regally at the other.
Speaker 9: End of the table, sal What are these matters of
Speaker 9: family you wish to speak of? Is something wrong with Asinath?
Speaker 2: No, my King, my wife and children are well, as
Speaker 2: you know. I am a Hebrew. I was brought here
Speaker 2: as a slave from Canaan. My brothers have come here
Speaker 2: on behalf of my father to purchase grain from us.
Speaker 2: I desire for them to take refuge here in Egypt.
Speaker 9: You would request this for men who sold you into slavery. Yes,
Speaker 9: my lord Zephyrnevna, your ways have always been somewhat mysterious
Speaker 9: to me, and I rarely questioned them. But to let
Speaker 9: your betrayers into your home seems unwise. Surely you don't
Speaker 9: owe them anything.
Speaker 2: I suppose this entire country owes them something, my king,
Speaker 2: for if I had not been sold to be a
Speaker 2: slave in Potiphar's house, we would not be prepared for
Speaker 2: a famine, and this land would have perished.
Speaker 4: Ah.
Speaker 9: Yes, the backward logic of your God continues to confuse
Speaker 9: and delight me all at once. How large is your family?
Speaker 2: I have eleven brothers and a sister. All of them
Speaker 2: have children, live stock, and riches of their own. They
Speaker 2: are farmers and tend to live stock. There are male
Speaker 2: and female servants in my father's house, as well as
Speaker 2: his remaining wives.
Speaker 9: Ravanetpenea. What you're asking from me is to allow foreigners
Speaker 9: to dwell in my land during a time of famine.
Speaker 2: Pharaoh, if I may, my family is special. My father, grandfather,
Speaker 2: and great grandfather were wholly set apart. We are chosen people,
Speaker 2: handpicked by God for blessing. Look at the blessing one
Speaker 2: Hebrew has brought your kingdom. Now imagine what having hundreds,
Speaker 2: potentially thousands would do for Egypt.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh leaned back in place, pleased at the notion of
Speaker 1: more wealth and blessing entering into his country. He had
Speaker 1: no reason to fear them, since they were the family
Speaker 1: of his most trusted ally. Pharaoh smiled and placed an almond.
Speaker 2: In his mouth.
Speaker 9: Summon your brothers and give them strict orders from me,
Speaker 9: Thus says Pharaoh, the morning and evening star of Egypt
Speaker 9: and the image of ra Load your donkeys and go
Speaker 9: back to the land of Canaan. Prepare you, your family
Speaker 9: and your father to dwell here in the land of Egypt.
Speaker 9: I will give you the best of the land I
Speaker 9: can offer. You shall eat of the fat of the
Speaker 9: land and grow to be prosperous under my wing.
Speaker 2: You are as kind as you are powerful, My King,
Speaker 2: I pray your sons and grandsons inherit your wisdom and favor.
Speaker 9: Order your servants to supply your brothers with more donkeys
Speaker 9: and wagons. Make sure they are well equipped to travel here.
Speaker 1: Of course, my lord Pharaoh stood and stepped on to
Speaker 1: a throne held up by servants. Before departing, Pharaoh looked
Speaker 1: Joseph in the eyes intently before leaving.
Speaker 9: The best of my land will be given to your family.
Speaker 9: Our entire nation owes your God a great debt I intind.
Speaker 2: To we create.
Speaker 1: With those words, Pharaoh departed to his daily military strategizing.
Speaker 1: Joseph made his way back to his brothers. They were
Speaker 1: anxiously awaiting word from Pharaoh. Joseph's head was held high
Speaker 1: and his arms were stretched open wide.
Speaker 2: My brothers, journey back to our father. We will supply
Speaker 2: you with more donkeys than wagons to travel with your families,
Speaker 2: For Pharaoh has granted us favor.
Speaker 4: Will you go with us to retrieve. Father.
Speaker 2: No, no, do not forget. I'm still the ruler of Egypt.
Speaker 2: I will welcome you when you return.
Speaker 1: Joseph supplied each of them with additional wagons and provisions
Speaker 1: for the journey. He gave each of them a change
Speaker 1: of clothes Egyptian linen, but to Benjamin he gave five
Speaker 1: changes of clothes and three hundred shekels of silver. Joseph
Speaker 1: was determined to be the generous older brother he never had.
Speaker 1: Benjamin was his only full brother after all, so he
Speaker 1: felt a profound connection to him. As the brothers were packing,
Speaker 1: he could hear them bicker about how to load the
Speaker 1: donkeys properly.
Speaker 3: Asher, you donkey, brain fool, I should strap a saddle
Speaker 3: to you.
Speaker 2: Give me those Those are my packs.
Speaker 4: I'll vote them how I please. Both of you have
Speaker 4: sand between your ears? Does he give the packs to me?
Speaker 9: It's not as opposed to face that way, Judah, you're
Speaker 9: making it worse.
Speaker 1: Joseph marched forward, ripped the packs from their hands, and
Speaker 1: loaded them himself. He fastened each back tightly and perfectly,
Speaker 1: with frustrated force. The brothers stood silently as Joseph attended
Speaker 1: to each animal. He looked at them and lifted a finger.
Speaker 2: The days of useless quarreling are over. On your way
Speaker 2: back to our father, do not argue over pointless things.
Speaker 2: I will not have bidden this enter my home. Do
Speaker 2: you understand?
Speaker 1: The brothers nodded. They were continually reminded that although Joseph
Speaker 1: was their younger brother, he was not their equal. He
Speaker 1: was zaphanarth Pania, the ruler of Egypt. Although they were
Speaker 1: forgiven by him, there would still be a lingering sense
Speaker 1: of hurt that would need to heal. Joseph smiled and
Speaker 1: reassured them of his good will towards them, sent them
Speaker 1: off with ten donkeys loaded with grain, bread and provisions
Speaker 1: for his father on their journey. Joseph waved them away
Speaker 1: and began to prepare a place for his family to return.
Speaker 7: Genesis forty five is electric. Joseph, once cast away in chains,
Speaker 7: now stands tall in Egypt, perched atop the seed of power.
Speaker 7: His brothers, unaware, come before him, needy and broken, the
Speaker 7: very same men who once sold him into slavery. Joseph
Speaker 7: knows exactly who they are, but they don't know who
Speaker 7: he is. And then, with a trembling voice, he breaks
Speaker 7: the silence. He says, quote Annie Joseph od avichrai, and
Speaker 7: in English that translates, I am Joseph, is my father
Speaker 7: still alive? Every time I read this, I get the chills,
Speaker 7: I get tears. I can see it in my mind.
Speaker 7: I imagine his brothers standing there, frozen, fear and guilt
Speaker 7: flooding their hearts. But instead of anger, Joseph weeps. He
Speaker 7: starts crying loudly, so loudly that all of Egypt tears it.
Speaker 7: Now Joseph actually weeps twice in this chapter, the first
Speaker 7: time when he reveals his true identity to his brothers.
Speaker 7: Then that Joseph weeps tears of joy. He has been
Speaker 7: united with his brothers after years of separation, and he
Speaker 7: sees the real possibility of a full reconciliation with them
Speaker 7: after what they had done. But some teachers from Jewish
Speaker 7: tradition see the second weeping, as Joseph sends his brothers
Speaker 7: to fetch their father and to bring the entire family
Speaker 7: down to live in Egypt ass of sadness. You see,
Speaker 7: Joseph had great trepidation about taking his family away from
Speaker 7: the Promised Land. He knew that ultimately that's where they belong.
Speaker 7: Maybe he foresees all of the trials and tribulations of
Speaker 7: the Chosen People throughout their millennia of exile. Maybe he
Speaker 7: knew that bringing his family to Egypt now was the
Speaker 7: beginning of a long and hard exile in Egypt. But
Speaker 7: both tears of joy and tears of sadness have characterized
Speaker 7: the Chosen People throughout our history. And I pray every day,
Speaker 7: and I know that you pray along with me, that
Speaker 7: now that we are back in our homeland where I'm
Speaker 7: speaking to you from right now, our tears of sadness
Speaker 7: will turn into tears of joy, just as the prophets foretold.
Speaker 7: I see this every day at the fellowship. I see
Speaker 7: tears of pain, of hurt, of hunger, of suffering turned
Speaker 7: to to tears of joy on the faces of God's children,
Speaker 7: who we help, who you help us help. There's nothing
Speaker 7: like the smile of an elderly who needed food and
Speaker 7: is suddenly given a food box. Joy and sorrow they
Speaker 7: often walk hand in hand, don't they. Every time my
Speaker 7: family celebrates a birthday or a biblical holy day, my
Speaker 7: heart aches at the absence of my Abba, my father,
Speaker 7: Rabbi rhile Ekstein. Yes, there is a joy, but there's
Speaker 7: also still a longing for what's missing. This same paradox
Speaker 7: is seen in today's Bible story. When Joseph and Benjamin embrace,
Speaker 7: they weep on each other's necks. Why does the Bible
Speaker 7: mention their next Well, Jewish tradition teaches that the neck
Speaker 7: actually represents the temple, because the temple is the connection
Speaker 7: between heaven and earth, just like the neck is the
Speaker 7: connection between our head and our body. In their embrace,
Speaker 7: these two brothers mourned the future destruction of the temples
Speaker 7: that would sever the connection between heaven and earth. You see,
Speaker 7: even in reunion, God's people remember our losses. Joseph's journey
Speaker 7: perfectly fits into this ongoing journey we are discussing each day,
Speaker 7: which is the journey of the Chosen People. This story
Speaker 7: is more than just a family drama. It's part of
Speaker 7: a larger pattern, one that stretches from the covenant with
Speaker 7: Abraham to our return to Zion. Joseph's descent into slavery
Speaker 7: wasn't the end. It was the beginning of something far greater,
Speaker 7: the birth of a nation. But Joseph's story is bittersweet
Speaker 7: the same way that he was enslaved, so too would
Speaker 7: his descendants be. For generations. In this grand narrative, we
Speaker 7: find cycles suffering followed by redemption, and Joseph's reunion with
Speaker 7: his brothers is a glimpse of the ultimate reconciliation that
Speaker 7: God promises us. We are his chosen people, tasked with
Speaker 7: bringing light to the nations. Of course, that light comes
Speaker 7: with trials. Of course that calling comes with hardships. It
Speaker 7: always has. But through it all we must remember that
Speaker 7: each of us plays a critical part in God's unfolding plan.
Speaker 7: Joseph's story reminds us God is always at work, even
Speaker 7: when the path is dark, even when the journey is long.
Speaker 7: We are not just living individual lives. We are part
Speaker 7: of a divine story, a story that began with Abraham
Speaker 7: and continues with us. So how will you play your part?
Speaker 7: How will you help bring healing to this world? Let's
Speaker 7: embrace our calling, Let's live out the promise. For more
Speaker 7: on this, let's hear from our good friend, Bishop Paul Lner.
Speaker 6: Thank you, y'all. Well, I'm going to tell you I
Speaker 6: almost didn't show up with this part of the conversation,
Speaker 6: and I know that sounds strange, but you're going to
Speaker 6: understand the more we talk together. This chapter, this portion
Speaker 6: of scripture, this part of the story is so intense,
Speaker 6: it's so emotional, and the hand of God is so
Speaker 6: present in all of it. It's going to stir you
Speaker 6: the way it's stirred me. I'm telling you, I've studied
Speaker 6: this passage for decades, but I'm convinced what God is
Speaker 6: speaking into my life, into your life in this time
Speaker 6: together is greater than any other time I've ever studied
Speaker 6: this story. You see, when Judah the Brother asked for
Speaker 6: a private audience with Joseph, and he didn't even know
Speaker 6: who it was he was talking to. And Judah began
Speaker 6: to pour out his heart and to say to Joseph, Look,
Speaker 6: if I don't take Benjamin home with me, I know
Speaker 6: the man, I know my father, it's going to kill him.
Speaker 5: As soon as he sees us on the horizon approaching,
Speaker 5: and he does not see Benjamin in the entourage.
Speaker 6: It's going to kill him. And when Joseph heard that
Speaker 6: something happened, it all changed traumatically, dramatically. Joseph began to
Speaker 6: have a melt down. I'm not kidding you.
Speaker 5: He began to erupt emotionally, and he says to his servants,
Speaker 5: get out, get out, leave me, leave us to all
Speaker 5: the Egyptians, get out of this place, Just leave me
Speaker 5: with these men. Unless they left. They could hear, but
Speaker 5: they could not see. And they could hear the white
Speaker 5: wailing and the crying, and the lamenting, and the grieving,
Speaker 5: and at times the rejoicing, and the confusion and the strangest.
Speaker 6: But they couldn't see it.
Speaker 5: And what moves me is the first thing Joseph says
Speaker 5: or asks, is is.
Speaker 6: My father life? Do you see? While Judah was talking
Speaker 6: to Joseph, Joseph began to realize something. Joseph began to
Speaker 6: realize not only had he been played, but.
Speaker 5: His father had been played. I wondered at times, where
Speaker 5: is my father in all of this? Why hasn't he
Speaker 5: come searching for me? And he begins to realize that
Speaker 5: it was all his brothers. They had betrayed him, They
Speaker 5: had betrayed.
Speaker 2: His father.
Speaker 5: But then the grace of God came blowing in and
Speaker 5: touching Joseph in the most profound way that he speaks
Speaker 5: these words that only he could speak by God, And
Speaker 5: he says to his brothers, don't blame yourself, you were wrong,
Speaker 5: and you wronged me. You send you send against our father,
Speaker 5: and you lied on me, and you lied to him,
Speaker 5: and you left me to die. Did I ever crossed
Speaker 5: your mind?
Speaker 6: I don't know. But this this I do know. God
Speaker 6: was behind all of it.
Speaker 5: There was a prophetic assignment to every assault in my life.
Speaker 5: For you see, God sent me ahead of you to
Speaker 5: save you.
Speaker 6: Now, I'm telling you this feminism, it's bad. And we've
Speaker 6: only been in it two years, got five more years
Speaker 6: to go. And without the word of the Lord through
Speaker 6: my life, none of you would have survived. My father
Speaker 6: would not have survived. Watch verse eight. You know that
Speaker 6: later on Moses is going to be like a son
Speaker 6: to Pharaoh.
Speaker 8: But this is different.
Speaker 5: Wat's this Joseph says, I've.
Speaker 2: Become a father to Pharaoh.
Speaker 5: He looks to me, he'd live, thins to me. He
Speaker 5: trusts me, he has intrusted everything to me.
Speaker 6: I am the lord of his household and ruler. And
Speaker 6: everything I've suffered was strategically preparing me for this moment,
Speaker 6: being accused, being imprisoned, being abandoned, being forgotten. In all
Speaker 6: of it, I'm telling you, all of it, the Lord
Speaker 6: was with me. And then he helps us to understand
Speaker 6: what it's all about. In verse seven, all of it,
Speaker 6: this whole story, all of the Torah descendants. In verse ten,
Speaker 6: he says, it's for your children and your grandchildren, and
Speaker 6: your flocks and your herds. You see, God has made
Speaker 6: you healthy, so you have the strength to accomplish what
Speaker 6: he's called you to do. And he's made you wealthy
Speaker 6: so you have the means to obey him. And then
Speaker 6: there's this land, this ghoshen. It's not your land. You
Speaker 6: have your land, but this is something the Lord is
Speaker 6: loaning to you for a season until it's time to leave. Now,
Speaker 6: I need you to go home, and I listen, this
Speaker 6: is the strangest listen. I need you to go home
Speaker 6: and to tell our father. First, tell him that I'm honored.
Speaker 8: Here.
Speaker 6: What tell him that I'm exalted? Is Joseph on a
Speaker 6: major ego trip. Absolutely not. What Joseph is saying is
Speaker 6: I need you to tell my father that the dreams
Speaker 6: have come.
Speaker 5: True, that the prophetic is manifest. Now, all those years ago,
Speaker 5: I tried to tell you what God was saying and
Speaker 5: showing me, and we're.
Speaker 2: Walking in it now.
Speaker 6: And then Pharaoh steps in, and this is huge if
Speaker 6: Pharaoh says, go get your family, Go get everything you
Speaker 6: have and bring it to this land that I will
Speaker 6: provide for you. You're not just going to eat in the famine.
Speaker 6: You're going to eat the best in the famine.
Speaker 8: Watch this.
Speaker 6: You're foreign, but you're favored.
Speaker 2: M Man.
Speaker 6: Now, this is probably the part that moves my heart
Speaker 6: the most. In verse twenty two, it says all the
Speaker 6: sons were blessed and prospered, but Benjamin received seven and
Speaker 6: a half pounds of silver and five sets of new clothes.
Speaker 6: And then, as the leaving side note, the boys are told,
Speaker 6: don't argue on your way home, just just get there.
Speaker 6: This is pivotal, paramount, prophetic, just but watch this. Jacob
Speaker 6: and Rachel had been robbed so much decades earlier by Laban.
Speaker 6: Their wedding night was stolen from them, years seemingly squandered,
Speaker 6: lied to light on. Rachel had longed for a child,
Speaker 6: denied a child, She gave birth to a child that Joseph,
Speaker 6: and then died giving birth to a child Benjamin. And
Speaker 6: now Joseph is the father to Pharaoh, and Benjamin can't
Speaker 6: even carry the silver and the clothes lavished upon him.
Speaker 6: Jacob and Rachel are vindicated. Everything is being restored to
Speaker 6: Rachel's son. Everything is being increased and multiplied to the
Speaker 6: boys Jacob, and he's using Faiah to do it. When
Speaker 6: the youngentourage arrived, when they all got home and started
Speaker 6: talking to each other and trying to explain to Jacob
Speaker 6: all that's happening, he finally speaks up in verse twenty eight, and.
Speaker 8: He says, stop just stop, stop stop talking, stop talking.
Speaker 8: I like care of others. Is Joseph alife? And if
Speaker 8: my Joseph is alive, I've got to get up. I've
Speaker 8: got to go to him before I die. I wonder
Speaker 8: you this was intense made the blessing of the Lord
Speaker 8: be upon the word of the Lord.
Speaker 7: When my husband and I named our children, each one
Speaker 7: received two names, one from modern Hebrew, reflecting the new Israel,
Speaker 7: and one from a family member anchoring them in tradition.
Speaker 7: Our second son, Liam Shlomo, carries a prayer for peace.
Speaker 7: We took Liam directly from Isaiah's words lo yedou od milchama.
Speaker 7: They will not train for war anymore, it says, well.
Speaker 7: Liam's name is made up of the first letters of
Speaker 7: each of those words in Hebrew and Shlomo. Of course,
Speaker 7: like Shalom means peace, and it's the name of two
Speaker 7: great grandfathers. So his name is our hope. It's our
Speaker 7: plea for a future without conflict. It's our prayer that
Speaker 7: he will see new Israel rebuilt on this concept and
Speaker 7: prayer of peace, but that he'll also always be connected
Speaker 7: to his great grandfathers Shlomo. You see names, Carrie power,
Speaker 7: They carry stories, just like Jacob, who became Israel. When
Speaker 7: Jacob heard Joseph was alive, the Bible immediately says quote
Speaker 7: the spirit of their father, Jacob was revived, and right
Speaker 7: after it says quote, Israel says, I'm convinced end quote.
Speaker 7: In that instant he was Jacob tired, broken, but upon
Speaker 7: hearing the news, he became Israel again, full of strength
Speaker 7: and faith. Names have the power to remind us who
Speaker 7: we are and who we are called to be. And
Speaker 7: just like Jacob's son Joseph, whose journey we have followed
Speaker 7: in these past several episodes, we too are called to
Speaker 7: embrace forgiveness. Joseph forgave his brothers not because they deserved it,
Speaker 7: but because he had faith that God had a bigger plan.
Speaker 7: Who in your life needs forgiveness. Maybe it's a family
Speaker 7: member or a friend, or maybe you need to forgive yourself.
Speaker 7: Forgiveness isn't about condoning the wrong that was done. Forgiveness
Speaker 7: is about releasing the burden and trusting God with the outcome.
Speaker 7: And like Joseph, let's try to find purpose in our pain.
Speaker 7: Like Joseph, ask God to reveal his purposes in your trials.
Speaker 7: And finally, like Joseph, let's all try to be vessels
Speaker 7: of God's grace in our workplaces, in our places of worship,
Speaker 7: in our communities, in our homes, everywhere we find ourselves.
Speaker 7: Let's be inspired to live in such a way that
Speaker 7: others see God in our words, in our actions, and
Speaker 7: in our lives. So let's remember Joseph and let his
Speaker 7: story inspire us to live out our own stories with grace, forgiveness,
Speaker 7: and unwavering trust in God's plan. Because our story isn't
Speaker 7: over yet. God is still writing it, and He's writing
Speaker 7: it through each of us, through me, and through you.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
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Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
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