# 46 - Joseph: The Betrayed - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein we explore the story of Joseph, the dreamer betrayed by his brothers, in this powerful episode of The Chosen People. Journey from the pit of despair to the promise of redemption, uncovering timeless lessons of faith, resilience, and divine purpose.
Episode 46 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Psalm 139:8, “If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!”
Listen to some of the greatest Bible stories ever told and make prayer a priority in your life by downloading the Pray.com app.
Show Notes:
(01:37) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(02:25) Joseph: The Betrayed - Cinematic Retelling
(23:16) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. The minute Jacob heard those
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Speaker 1: cries from the other side of the tent, he ran in.
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Speaker 1: His son cried in Rachel's arms. He was the most
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Speaker 1: beautiful thing Jacob had ever seen. Finally he had a
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Speaker 1: child born.
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Speaker 2: From love, My son, My son, I shall name you Joseph.
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Speaker 2: The winter is approaching, and you've already grown out of
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Speaker 2: your old coat. Your mother has been hard at work
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Speaker 2: getting the material for this.
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Speaker 1: Jacob took his hands off Joseph's eyes. In front of him,
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Speaker 1: his mother held a long, flowing coat adorned with many colors.
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Speaker 1: Since his father had given him so much favoritism, Joseph
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Speaker 1: truly believed he was superior to them.
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Speaker 3: He had the spectacular dream. We were binding sheaves in
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Speaker 3: the field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright, and
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Speaker 3: and then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down
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Speaker 3: to my sheep.
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Speaker 4: Are you to rule over us? Joseph?
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Speaker 1: Joseph's dreams, once a source of personal pride, had become
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Speaker 1: a point of contention among his family. His brother's hearts
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Speaker 1: grew colder, their patients thinner, and as Joseph toiled in
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Speaker 1: the fields, he could feel the weight of their resentment
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Speaker 1: pressing down on him, a silent, unseen force waiting to strike.
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Speaker 5: What is it about dreams that stir our souls? Is
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Speaker 5: it their promise of glory or their shadow of danger?
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Speaker 5: Or the way that they dance between hope and heartbreak?
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Speaker 5: Shaloam from here in the Holy Land. I'm ya l
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Speaker 5: extein with international fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome
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Speaker 5: back to the Chosen People. In the ancient text of
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Speaker 5: Genesis thirty seven, it tells such a tale of a
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Speaker 5: young dreamer named Joseph. As you listen, ask yourself this,
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Speaker 5: what are the dreams that lie dormant in your heart?
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Speaker 5: Are they a source of life? Or do they threaten
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Speaker 5: to unravel your whole world? This is the story of Joseph,
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Speaker 5: his coat of many colors, and the dark road of
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Speaker 5: betrayal that led him to the unknown.
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Speaker 1: Joseph stared down at the slow moving stream. He dipped
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Speaker 1: his hands into the floe, rubbing his neck with the
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Speaker 1: river's chill. The sun was high and sweltering. Its harsh
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Speaker 1: rays were tortuous, and Joseph was glad he did not
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Speaker 1: have to shepherd the flocks to day, Resting his head
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Speaker 1: on a smooth rock beside the stream. He let his
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Speaker 1: foot dangle lazily in the water. Joseph closed his eyes,
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Speaker 1: thoughts drifting to the dreams that had visited him the
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Speaker 1: night before. Dreams of grandeur, of respect from his brothers,
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Speaker 1: a respect he felt was deserved, though perhaps it was
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Speaker 1: merely wishful thinking. Maybe all Joseph truly yearned for was
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Speaker 1: their favor, A ruffle of the hair or a shared
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Speaker 1: laugh by the fire. That's all he truly wanted. Blocking
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Speaker 1: out the sun with his hand, he let himself drift
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Speaker 1: into a blissful doze, flashes of his dreams playing in
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Speaker 1: his mind, sheaves of grain bowing before him, the sun,
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Speaker 1: moon and stars encircling him. Ah, just a dream, But
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Speaker 1: it wasn't just a dream. Joseph's visions of grandeur may
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Speaker 1: have been misplaced, but his dreams were not. They were
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Speaker 1: a sign and a warning of things to come. Joseph
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Speaker 1: awoke to his father's footsteps. Jacob made his way towards
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Speaker 1: the street and playfully splashed Joseph with his walking stick.
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Speaker 2: Lounging about while the others work. I see, if you
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Speaker 2: want to rule the moon and the stars one day,
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Speaker 2: you will need a stronger work ethic.
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Speaker 6: Maybe I'll just disguise myself as Reuben and inherit all
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Speaker 6: my riches.
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Speaker 1: Jacob splashed Joseph in her face again. The two laughed,
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Speaker 1: enjoying another moment of connection. Jacob's gaze turned serious as
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Speaker 1: he looked towards the distant canyons.
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Speaker 2: Your brothers should be pestering the Frocks, and it's shack
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Speaker 2: him right now. We do not have good dealings with
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Speaker 2: the people in Shechem.
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Speaker 1: Jacob sighed and brought Joseph in close. The two walked
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Speaker 1: from the stream back to the tents.
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Speaker 2: Your brothers are not like you, Joseph. They are unruly
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Speaker 2: and disobey me frequently. They don't fear God, and I
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Speaker 2: do not trust them. I need you to go to
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Speaker 2: Shechem and check.
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Speaker 7: Up on them.
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Speaker 2: Go there and bring me back a report.
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Speaker 6: I met your will father, I'll go and return what
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Speaker 6: I learned more.
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Speaker 1: Joseph donned his new coat and set off towards Shechem,
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Speaker 1: pulling the coat over his head to shield himself from
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Speaker 1: the sun. The valley was blistering, but Shechem was known
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Speaker 1: for its springs, where the sheep might drink. Perhaps his
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Speaker 1: brothers had sought relief in the pools. He passed by
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Speaker 1: the springs, but saw no sign of them. He went
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Speaker 1: to the fields where the sheep was supposed to be,
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Speaker 1: yet again found no trace of them.
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Speaker 7: Or his brothers.
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Speaker 1: Joseph walked for miles, the sun descending from its zenith,
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Speaker 1: the heat of the day beginning to wane. He took
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Speaker 1: refuge under a tree, wiping sweat from his brow.
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Speaker 6: Ah, perhaps they've gone again to Tymna.
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Speaker 1: His brothers, though mischievous and unruly, were never irresponsible. Joseph
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Speaker 1: admired them, longing to be part of their camaraderie. Yet
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Speaker 1: his father's favoritism alienated him from them. Their jealousy a
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Speaker 1: constant barrier under the shade. Joseph's sighed, considering abandoning his search.
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Speaker 1: Then a man approached with a small herd of goats.
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Speaker 8: You aren't from around here, are you.
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Speaker 6: No, I'm from the house of Jacob. Have you seen
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Speaker 6: a large flock of sheep with ten herders. They're my brothers,
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Speaker 6: and they're supposed to be here in the hills of Shechem.
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Speaker 4: Ah.
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Speaker 8: Yes, yes, there was a loud group of men that
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Speaker 8: came through these hills. I had to take my goods elsewhere,
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Speaker 8: Since the flock was so large and.
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Speaker 6: Unruly excellent, where might I find them? Did you see
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Speaker 6: which direction they went?
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Speaker 8: I overheard them saying about Dothan. One of them was
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Speaker 8: rather loud and seemed to lead the rest.
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Speaker 6: Oh, Judah, thank you, sir.
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Speaker 1: Joseph bowed to the herder and ran towards Dothan, his long,
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Speaker 1: lean legs swiftly carrying him towards the canyons. Dothan was
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Speaker 1: close nestled in a valley surrounded by canyons and hills.
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Speaker 1: Joseph quickly worked the trails, climbing over.
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Speaker 7: Rocks with grace and ease.
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Speaker 1: Even at seventeen, he stood taller than most of his
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Speaker 1: brothers save for Reuben and Judah. He hopped from one
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Speaker 1: stone to another with the swiftness of a mountain goat.
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Speaker 1: He hoisted himself onto a rock at the canyon's edge,
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Speaker 1: overlooking the valley. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows.
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Speaker 1: Joseph scanned the valley, spotting the large flock of sheep,
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Speaker 1: but not his brothers. He descended the mountain wall, following
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Speaker 1: a narrow shaded trail. The brothers lurked in the shadows.
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Speaker 4: Oh, just as expected. Of course, Father sent him to
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Speaker 4: spy on us. His little dog will do anything for
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Speaker 4: a pet on the head.
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Speaker 6: Perhaps he'll fall off the edge. That would solve all
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Speaker 6: our problems.
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Speaker 1: The rest of the brothers laughed, all except Reuben. He
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Speaker 1: could send something corrupt brewing from within the group. Simeon
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Speaker 1: stood to his feet and pointed back at Joseph.
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Speaker 6: What's keeping us from just putting an end to him?
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Speaker 6: Are we really going to wait for father to die
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Speaker 6: and give his entire inheritance to the youngest?
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Speaker 7: Ash's head perked up.
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Speaker 3: Would Father really do that?
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Speaker 4: Of course he would. Father was the youngest. Remember he
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Speaker 4: sympathized us with the boy. Look at the coat he's wearing.
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Speaker 4: When has Father ever given you something of that much worth?
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Speaker 6: It would be so easy just to blame it on
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Speaker 6: a wild animal. These canyons are filled with wolves. You
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Speaker 6: could kill him and no one would ever find him.
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Speaker 1: The brothers began to stir. What began as small jokes
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Speaker 1: had turned into a serious conversation. As Joseph continued to
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Speaker 1: approach the bottom of the hill, the groups resolved to
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Speaker 1: harm him increased.
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Speaker 7: Reuben was growing uneasy.
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Speaker 1: He was the eldest and had the most to lose
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Speaker 1: from Joseph's prominence. But he wasn't petting and spiteful like
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Speaker 1: his childish younger brothers.
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Speaker 7: Brothers, you don't want his blood on your hands. Throw
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Speaker 7: him in one of these pits.
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Speaker 2: We'll teach you my lesson if he dies, and there
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Speaker 2: he dies by at least you.
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Speaker 7: Were not one to kill him.
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Speaker 1: Reuben's suggestion was a calculated attempt to save Joseph's life.
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Speaker 1: Although Reuben was the eldest, Judah held the sway and influence.
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Speaker 1: If he could persuade them to leave Joseph in a pit,
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Speaker 1: he could rescue him later.
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Speaker 4: Here he comes, We'll see what comes of his dreams now.
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Speaker 1: Joseph finally hopped off the last stone leading to the trail.
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Speaker 1: The canyons blocked out the sun and provided some wealth
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Speaker 1: welcomed shade. He jogged down the trail, expecting to find
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Speaker 1: his brothers on the other end of the tunnel like structure. However,
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Speaker 1: Joseph could hear a stirring in the shadows. He stopped
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Speaker 1: and turned. Whispers echoed through the canyons.
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Speaker 3: Who's there, the dreamer is here?
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Speaker 1: The voice mocked from the darkness. Joseph looked over to
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Speaker 1: see Judah emerging from a crack in the mountain. The
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Speaker 1: other brothers appeared from the shadows behind him. Their eyes
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Speaker 1: portrayed an ancient evil that had plagued humanity since the
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Speaker 1: very beginning. They revealed a deep wickedness that had been
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Speaker 1: brewing since the first family. The heart of Cain, who
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Speaker 1: murdered his brother Abel, was beating in the sons of Jacob.
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Speaker 1: They hated Joseph for his favor and were trapped in
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Speaker 1: a prison of jealousy. Sensing the danger, Joseph stepped back,
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Speaker 1: but the brothers had surrounded him.
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Speaker 4: Where are you running, baby brother?
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Speaker 7: Are you afraid?
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Speaker 1: Joseph gulped. There was no escaping what was about to come.
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Speaker 1: His eyes darted toward the trail. He sprinted forward, only
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Speaker 1: to be stopped by his brothers and shoved back into
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Speaker 1: the middle of the circle. They closed in on him.
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Speaker 1: Simeon plunged forward for the first blow, right to the draw.
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Speaker 1: Joseph recoiled and stumbled back, only to be shoved to
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Speaker 1: the ground by Levi. His brothers pounced on him, tearing
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Speaker 1: the coat right off his body. Their kicks seemed endless
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Speaker 1: Joseph could feel his ribs cracking under the pressure of
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Speaker 1: their blows.
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Speaker 6: No stop, someone, help, help, help.
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Speaker 1: Me, Joseph cried, but his brothers were too enraged to
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Speaker 1: give mercy. Judah picked Joseph up by his hair and
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Speaker 1: held his face tightly.
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Speaker 4: Ah, tell me, Joseph, in all your dreaming, did you
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Speaker 4: ever imagine this?
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Speaker 1: Tears streamed down Joseph's face. He couldn't speak, he could
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Speaker 1: barely breathe. Judah threw him against the rocks. Joseph lay
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Speaker 1: there helplessly. His brothers were filled with spite. They took
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Speaker 1: his limp and mangled body and threw him into an
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Speaker 1: empty pit. Joseph tumbled down fifteen feet, hitting the cold
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Speaker 1: dirt below. A cloud of dust rose in the air.
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Speaker 1: As Joseph's body hid the ground, he gasped for breath,
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Speaker 1: coughing up blood and dirt. Joseph rolled onto his back,
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Speaker 1: seeing the silhouetted faces of his brothers above. His eyes
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Speaker 1: were growing dim and the light from above was slipping
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Speaker 1: from his sight. Feeling broken and abandoned, Joseph closed his eyes.
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Speaker 1: All was dark. The sons of Israel still fumed with adrenaline.
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Speaker 1: They looked down at Joseph lying motionless in the pit.
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Speaker 1: They spat down the pit and turned back to their flock.
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Speaker 1: They sat in the fields, enjoying a meal. As they
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Speaker 1: broke apart their bread and drank from their wine skins,
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Speaker 1: they considered what to do with Joseph.
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Speaker 4: Oh, thanks, what do we do now? Rubin? It was
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Speaker 4: your idea to leave him in the pit. If we
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Speaker 4: leave him there, I mean you'll either die or escape.
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Speaker 4: Mean do we risk either?
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Speaker 7: Leave him? For now?
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Speaker 9: We will go back home and consider what to do
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Speaker 9: with him. Perhaps we will be consumed by beasts tonight,
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Speaker 9: we won't have to light a father.
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Speaker 1: Reuben was planning on saving Joseph later that night. He
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Speaker 1: just needed his brothers gone. Ruben stood to his feet
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Speaker 1: and stretched, Ah.
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Speaker 9: Ah, brothers, I'm going to sell a few of our
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Speaker 9: sheep to the nearby shearers. I'll be back shortly. Then
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Speaker 9: we can go home and decide what to do with Joseph.
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Speaker 1: The brothers nodded, and Reuben left down the trail to
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Speaker 1: go barter with the nearby merchants. Judah sat alone on
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Speaker 1: a stone, looking intently at the canyons where they left Joseph.
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Speaker 1: His stare was intense and unyielding. His chest swelled with
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Speaker 1: jealous rage. He was completely gripped with hatred. At the
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Speaker 1: corner of his eye, Judah could see some Ishmaelits coming
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Speaker 1: from Gilead. They had camels bearing gum, balm and spices.
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Speaker 1: Judah recognized these merchants. He had seen them in the
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Speaker 1: darker parts of the city. He knew these men were
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Speaker 1: more than spice merchants. They were slave traders. Judah stood
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Speaker 1: up and skipped a few stones on the nearby creek.
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Speaker 7: Reuben is naive.
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Speaker 1: The brothers perked their ears to him and listened.
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Speaker 4: He thinks he can save Joseph to gain favor with Father.
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Speaker 4: He's short sighted. That boy will steal his birthright, or worse,
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Speaker 4: Father will give it to him on a platter.
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Speaker 6: Judah, we will be banished if Father finds out what
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Speaker 6: we did.
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Speaker 4: We could kill him blame it on some animals or raiders,
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Speaker 4: but that would profit us nothing. Huh, my brothers, how
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Speaker 4: would you all like a shining new coat like Joseph's.
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Speaker 4: Why don't we sell him? There are spice merchants a
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Speaker 4: few yards from the town entrance. I happen to know
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Speaker 4: that they are slave traders. Joseph is a strong young man.
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Speaker 4: They would pay us a handsome sum of money for him.
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Speaker 1: The brothers were silent for a long moment. They were
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Speaker 1: beginning to realize what they had done. There was no
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Speaker 1: turning back. They either needed to kill him or sell
00:15:49
Speaker 1: him away. If they didn't, they would risk their father
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Speaker 1: finding out. The brothers looked up at Judah as their
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Speaker 1: appointed leader and nodded. Judah smiled and walked over to
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Speaker 1: the Ishmaelites. Judah approached them with his arms wide open,
00:16:06
Speaker 1: His charming smile shone in the setting sun. Judah was
00:16:10
Speaker 1: a charismatic man. He was clever like his father, but
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Speaker 1: lacked the humility gain through years of struggle and wrestling.
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Speaker 4: My friends, I have an offer for you.
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Speaker 1: The Ishmaelites turned their attention to Judah. He sauntered to
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Speaker 1: their camels and began to stroke their noses.
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Speaker 4: I know you are spice traders, but I hear you
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Speaker 4: deal in much rarer items as well.
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Speaker 7: Is that true?
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Speaker 1: Before Judah could continue, he found himself pinned to the ground,
00:16:41
Speaker 1: blades at his throat. Their leader stood over him, a tall,
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Speaker 1: dark man with a slender frame and a crooked face.
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Speaker 6: Do not toy with us, son of Jacob.
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Speaker 7: We know your father is.
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Speaker 2: Tell us your offer nothing more. We want little to
00:17:00
Speaker 2: do with you and your family.
00:17:03
Speaker 1: Judah coughed and winced on the ground. The brothers ran
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Speaker 1: towards him, but promptly stopped when they saw their blades drawn.
00:17:10
Speaker 1: Still on the floor, Judah raised his hands and pointed north.
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Speaker 4: Oh, okay, okay. Light. Lying in a pit just north
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Speaker 4: of here, there was a young young man. He's seventeen.
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Speaker 4: He's strong, lean and able to work. What what will
00:17:30
Speaker 4: you give us for?
00:17:32
Speaker 1: The Ishmael Lights sheathed their swords, discussing amongst themselves. Their
00:17:37
Speaker 1: leader peered back at Judah, his expression calculating. The sun
00:17:42
Speaker 1: was setting, and Judah's brothers grew anxious, knowing Reuben would
00:17:46
Speaker 1: soon return. Finally, the leader approached, gesturing toward the canyons.
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Speaker 2: If the boys healthy and able bodied, we'll give you
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Speaker 2: twenty shekels of silver.
00:18:01
Speaker 1: Judah looked back at his brothers. They hadn't imagined having
00:18:05
Speaker 1: such wealth. He shook hands with the Ishmael Light, leading
00:18:09
Speaker 1: them to the pit where Joseph lay trapped. Hours had
00:18:16
Speaker 1: passed since Joseph hit the jagged rocks below. Every breath
00:18:21
Speaker 1: was a struggle, each inhalation a stab of pain. He
00:18:25
Speaker 1: leaned against the cold stone wall, his lips parched, his
00:18:29
Speaker 1: tongue swollen. He looked up, seeing the sky painted in
00:18:33
Speaker 1: deep red hues as the sun set, Tears streamed down
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Speaker 1: his dusty face.
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Speaker 6: Oh God, what have I done to deserve this? Did
00:18:44
Speaker 6: you just give me these dreams to mark me?
00:18:48
Speaker 1: Toying with me?
00:18:50
Speaker 7: Why?
00:18:52
Speaker 1: Joseph was met with silence. The crimson clouds above rolled
00:18:56
Speaker 1: faster to the evening wind. Joseph gave blankly at the
00:19:01
Speaker 1: small opening where he had been thrown in. He desperately
00:19:04
Speaker 1: wanted to believe that one of his brothers would come.
00:19:07
Speaker 7: To save him.
00:19:08
Speaker 1: As he looked above, he saw a rope fall down
00:19:11
Speaker 1: through the entrance and fall down at his feet. Hope
00:19:15
Speaker 1: flickered in his heart. Perhaps Reuben had returned with mercy.
00:19:20
Speaker 1: He tied the rope around his waist, using what little
00:19:23
Speaker 1: strength he had to climb. Joseph stood at the pit's
00:19:27
Speaker 1: edge and saw his brothers a few feet away. Relief
00:19:31
Speaker 1: washed over him. He had thought they had abandoned him.
00:19:34
Speaker 1: He limped towards them, smiling, but a rope was thrown
00:19:38
Speaker 1: around his neck, yanking him back.
00:19:41
Speaker 7: He fell, gasping for.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: Air, his legs kicking in desperation. Tied to the end
00:19:47
Speaker 1: of a camel, Joseph looked up to see the tall,
00:19:50
Speaker 1: slender man looming over him. The ishmaelike leader grabbed Joseph's jaw,
00:19:55
Speaker 1: examining him with invasive force.
00:19:58
Speaker 2: Ah, try and do pieces of silver, Asley agreed.
00:20:03
Speaker 1: Joseph watched his brothers walk away one by one. The
00:20:08
Speaker 1: last was Judah, who lingered in silence, watching Joseph cart
00:20:13
Speaker 1: it off like livestock. Joseph's cries for help were choked
00:20:17
Speaker 1: by the tight rope. Tears filled his eyes, his heart
00:20:21
Speaker 1: heavy with betrayal. The sun said, the stars taking its place.
00:20:27
Speaker 1: As Joseph was taken towards Egypt, a slave's fate waiting him.
00:20:33
Speaker 1: He kept his gaze fixed south toward Canaan, the land
00:20:37
Speaker 1: he was leaving behind, the home that had betrayed him.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: Reuben returned to find his brothers near the canyon. He
00:20:46
Speaker 1: looked into the pit and saw that it was empty,
00:20:49
Speaker 1: His heart filled with bitter regret.
00:20:51
Speaker 2: Where is he?
00:20:53
Speaker 1: None of the brothers answered. They allowed him to mourn.
00:20:56
Speaker 1: At the entrance of the pit. Simeon stood next to
00:20:59
Speaker 1: him and put his hand on his shoulder. He pulled
00:21:02
Speaker 1: out two silver shekels and handed them to him.
00:21:05
Speaker 6: What's done is done, Reuben, it was out of your hands.
00:21:09
Speaker 6: Here take your share.
00:21:12
Speaker 1: Simeon tossed him his share of the spoils. Reuben gripped
00:21:16
Speaker 1: the coins, their weight heavy in his hand. He realized
00:21:20
Speaker 1: his grave mistake. His attempt to outsmart his brothers had failed.
00:21:26
Speaker 1: Joseph was gone. Reuben sighed, tossing the coins into the pit,
00:21:31
Speaker 1: there clanging, echoing. He took his staff and some sheep,
00:21:36
Speaker 1: leaving his brothers and their conspiracy behind and walking back
00:21:39
Speaker 1: to their father. The others slaughtered a sheep, splattering its
00:21:43
Speaker 1: blood on Joseph's coat, tearing it to pieces and soiling
00:21:47
Speaker 1: it with dirt. With melancholy faces, they returned to Jacob. Judah, Simeon,
00:21:54
Speaker 1: and Levi entered Jacob's tent first, carrying the mangled robe
00:21:59
Speaker 1: as if it were a dying child. They bowed before Jacob,
00:22:03
Speaker 1: their eyes filled with feigned sorrow.
00:22:07
Speaker 4: Father, we found this by the Kenyons near shechem Is.
00:22:14
Speaker 7: Sir, is this Joseph's.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: Jacob stood, taking the coat in his hands, shock and
00:22:22
Speaker 1: anguish filling his face. He walked outside, falling to his knees,
00:22:27
Speaker 1: pressing the bloody coat to his face. My son, my son,
00:22:36
Speaker 1: Jacob was inconsolable. His remaining sons tried to comfort.
00:22:41
Speaker 7: Him, but he refused.
00:22:43
Speaker 1: He tore his clothes and screamed to the heavens. He
00:22:46
Speaker 1: looked up with bloodshot eyes and bodies shaking with grief.
00:22:53
Speaker 4: My morning will not cease until I joined my beloved son,
00:22:59
Speaker 4: the gray.
00:23:03
Speaker 1: Jacob buried his head in the dirt. His cries were deep, bellowing,
00:23:09
Speaker 1: and heavy.
00:23:10
Speaker 7: They shook the earth beneath him.
00:23:18
Speaker 5: I once heard a story about a large battleship out
00:23:22
Speaker 5: at sea, and the ship encountered severe weather, and the
00:23:25
Speaker 5: captain received a report that a light had been spotted ahead.
00:23:30
Speaker 5: Is it steady or moving? The captain called out, steady, captain.
00:23:34
Speaker 5: The lookout replied the ship was on a collision course.
00:23:39
Speaker 5: The captain sent a message to the vessel a head
00:23:41
Speaker 5: warning we are in a collision course. It advised you
00:23:43
Speaker 5: to change course twenty degrees, But the reply that came
00:23:47
Speaker 5: back said, advisable for you to change course twenty degrees.
00:23:52
Speaker 5: The captain was furious. I'm a battleship. He replied, you
00:23:56
Speaker 5: changed course twenty degrees. The reply flashed back, I'm a lighthouse.
00:24:01
Speaker 6: Now.
00:24:02
Speaker 5: This story is kind of funny, but it also really
00:24:05
Speaker 5: illustrates how harmful it can be when we misjudge others,
00:24:09
Speaker 5: when we fail to understand who they truly are and
00:24:13
Speaker 5: what they're capable of, and when we judge too quickly,
00:24:17
Speaker 5: we can hurt others and ourselves. In today's Bible story,
00:24:21
Speaker 5: Joseph's brothers severely misjudged him. They heard him talk about
00:24:25
Speaker 5: his dreams, which implied that he would rule over the family.
00:24:28
Speaker 5: Then they saw him bring a bad report about them
00:24:30
Speaker 5: to their father. They concluded that Joseph was a bad seed,
00:24:35
Speaker 5: and they felt that it was their duty to get
00:24:37
Speaker 5: rid of him. The Bible tells us they saw him
00:24:41
Speaker 5: in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted
00:24:44
Speaker 5: to kill him. The problem was that the brothers saw
00:24:48
Speaker 5: Joseph from a distance. You see, they didn't really know
00:24:53
Speaker 5: him or understand who he was. The episodes that will
00:24:57
Speaker 5: unfold after this one will reveal Joseph's true character. He
00:25:02
Speaker 5: wasn't who his brothers thought he was. They passed judgment
00:25:06
Speaker 5: on Joseph from afar quote before he reached them end quote,
00:25:12
Speaker 5: meaning before they got close enough to truly know him.
00:25:16
Speaker 5: All too often, don't we make that same mistake. We
00:25:19
Speaker 5: judge people when we don't really know them, and this
00:25:23
Speaker 5: can lead to ruined relationships, missed friendships, and deeply hurt feelings. Really,
00:25:29
Speaker 5: there's so much more to every person than what we
00:25:32
Speaker 5: can possibly know. So instead of judging others from a distance,
00:25:37
Speaker 5: let's try to come to know them with kindness and
00:25:41
Speaker 5: to understand them, be compassionate to them, and even to
00:25:45
Speaker 5: love them. There's an ancient Jewish teaching that I want
00:25:48
Speaker 5: to share with you. It comes from puer quet At,
00:25:51
Speaker 5: a book of teachings from rabbis who lived around two
00:25:54
Speaker 5: thousand years ago near the end of the Second Temple.
00:25:57
Speaker 5: The rabbis taught that we must always quote judge every
00:26:01
Speaker 5: person to the side of merit end quote. On the surface,
00:26:05
Speaker 5: this may seem like a simple teaching, almost like saying
00:26:08
Speaker 5: we should be nice to people and not to assume
00:26:09
Speaker 5: the worst. But I want you to pay attention because
00:26:12
Speaker 5: there's a much deeper point here. The Hebrew word that
00:26:16
Speaker 5: they use for this verse of judge every person to
00:26:20
Speaker 5: the side of merit says in Hebrew kol ha adam,
00:26:24
Speaker 5: which is usually translated as every person. But let's clarify again,
00:26:29
Speaker 5: Kol ha adam literally translates as all the person, not
00:26:36
Speaker 5: just every person, but all the person. So the rabbis
00:26:41
Speaker 5: are really teaching us that we must learn to judge
00:26:44
Speaker 5: the whole person favorably. That when we see someone doing
00:26:49
Speaker 5: something questionable, our first thought maybe to judge them based
00:26:52
Speaker 5: on what we see, But we don't see the coal
00:26:57
Speaker 5: ha adam, the whole person. We don't see the background
00:27:01
Speaker 5: of the situation. We don't know what they're feeling inside
00:27:04
Speaker 5: that may have led them to this behavior. We only
00:27:07
Speaker 5: see what the person did, and we judge them based
00:27:09
Speaker 5: on that alone. But the rabbis remind us that we
00:27:14
Speaker 5: don't see the entire situation. I remember hearing a story
00:27:18
Speaker 5: of a man on a train. He was alone with
00:27:21
Speaker 5: three children, and the children were driving everyone crazy. They
00:27:24
Speaker 5: were yelling, they were screaming, they were running up and down,
00:27:27
Speaker 5: and the father wasn't doing anything to even ask them
00:27:30
Speaker 5: to be quiet or behave Everyone on the train was
00:27:33
Speaker 5: annoyed at these children that were just running crazy, and
00:27:36
Speaker 5: finally someone went up to the father and said, uh,
00:27:39
Speaker 5: excuse me, do you mind controlling your children. They're bothering everyone.
00:27:44
Speaker 5: The father looked at this person and said, oh, I'm sorry,
00:27:48
Speaker 5: you're right. We're just on the way back from the
00:27:50
Speaker 5: hospital where my wife and their mother just died. I
00:27:54
Speaker 5: guess I'm in a different world. I'm sorry about that. Suddenly,
00:28:00
Speaker 5: when on the train, understood that what was happening was
00:28:03
Speaker 5: a lot different, a lot broader than what they were seeing,
00:28:08
Speaker 5: and they were forced to judge cool HadAM the whole person,
00:28:13
Speaker 5: the whole story, the whole situation. When we define someone
00:28:18
Speaker 5: by their worst moments, we blind ourselves to the fullness
00:28:21
Speaker 5: of who they actually are, and in today's episode, Joseph's
00:28:24
Speaker 5: brothers did just that. When they saw Joseph coming, they
00:28:28
Speaker 5: decided to kill him. They resented Joseph because of his dreams,
00:28:34
Speaker 5: and rather than refer to their brother by name as Joseph,
00:28:37
Speaker 5: they called him quote that dreamer end quote. What they
00:28:43
Speaker 5: did by calling him that dreamer and not his name
00:28:46
Speaker 5: was that they were defining him by the behavior that
00:28:50
Speaker 5: they despised. They didn't look at the full story, at
00:28:53
Speaker 5: the full Joseph, And so today I think we have
00:28:57
Speaker 5: to learn from the mistake that Joseph's brothers made. Let's
00:29:01
Speaker 5: increase our love and tolerance for others, even in their
00:29:05
Speaker 5: worst moments. Let's strive to see the whole person they
00:29:09
Speaker 5: are and where they come from, from the pit to
00:29:13
Speaker 5: the palace, from despair to divine providence. Joseph's story is
00:29:19
Speaker 5: our story. It prefigures the path of our people out
00:29:24
Speaker 5: of Egypt. To speak more on that is the wise
00:29:27
Speaker 5: and wonderful Bishop Paulineer.
00:29:30
Speaker 10: Thank you so much. I want us to move swiftly
00:29:34
Speaker 10: through this second half of chapter thirty seven. It is
00:29:37
Speaker 10: so intense, and there's so much in my heart I
00:29:40
Speaker 10: want to speak into you.
00:29:43
Speaker 7: You know.
00:29:43
Speaker 10: It is a remarkable thing what God was doing in
00:29:47
Speaker 10: Joseph's life Jesus seventeen year old boy, and God is
00:29:52
Speaker 10: releasing into Joseph these profound prophetic dreams that all will
00:30:01
Speaker 10: be manifest and come to life. As God raises Joseph
00:30:07
Speaker 10: from the dungeons of Egypt and sits him as second
00:30:13
Speaker 10: in command, Joseph heres having to learn the hard lesson
00:30:19
Speaker 10: of living and walking in the anointing of God, that
00:30:25
Speaker 10: you can't always tell everybody what God is speaking into
00:30:32
Speaker 10: your own heart. Time and again we read in this
00:30:37
Speaker 10: chapter that Joseph's brothers.
00:30:42
Speaker 7: Hated him. That's horrible.
00:30:46
Speaker 10: We knowed as well, you and I that there are
00:30:49
Speaker 10: these typologies between the Joseph of the Hebrew scriptures and
00:30:54
Speaker 10: the Jesus of the Christian scriptures. And in the Gospel
00:30:59
Speaker 10: of On we read that there was a time when Jesus'
00:31:02
Speaker 10: own brothers didn't believe in him either. Joseph really didn't
00:31:09
Speaker 10: handle himself well at times with his brothers. Not only
00:31:16
Speaker 10: would he talk too much and tell too many about
00:31:21
Speaker 10: the good things God was doing, but then sometimes he
00:31:25
Speaker 10: would go to his father and share some of the
00:31:27
Speaker 10: bad things that his brothers were doing. There came a
00:31:33
Speaker 10: moment when Jacob sent his son out into the field
00:31:37
Speaker 10: to find his brothers. While he's wearing that special regal
00:31:43
Speaker 10: garment of preferential treatment. He travels some fifty miles from
00:31:48
Speaker 10: her Brown to Schechem, and there was someone there who
00:31:52
Speaker 10: was able to tell Joseph where his brothers actually were.
00:31:58
Speaker 10: And all the while, the pain inside of his brothers
00:32:02
Speaker 10: had mild deteriorated into a plot to kill Joseph, And
00:32:09
Speaker 10: when they saw him coming, they didn't really refer to
00:32:12
Speaker 10: Jacob's garment put on Joseph. Instead it was the anointing
00:32:17
Speaker 10: they resented. Wow, here comes the dreamer, they said, And
00:32:25
Speaker 10: they decided they wanted to kill him. But thankfully the
00:32:31
Speaker 10: brother Reuben stepped in and said, we can't kill him,
00:32:35
Speaker 10: after all, he is our brother. And another one said,
00:32:39
Speaker 10: why don't we just sell him and make money? And
00:32:43
Speaker 10: they did, and they sold him for twenty pieces of silver,
00:32:49
Speaker 10: again a typology. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver,
00:32:57
Speaker 10: isn't isn't this profound? This Judah one brother and Reuben,
00:33:03
Speaker 10: the brother who they were a part of the lord
00:33:06
Speaker 10: put a word of deliverance. We can't kill him, the
00:33:09
Speaker 10: word of deliverance. Why don't we sell him in to
00:33:13
Speaker 10: the mouth of somebody who was actually a part of
00:33:16
Speaker 10: the scheme to take him out? And they then stepped
00:33:22
Speaker 10: in and undermined what the enemy really wanted to do
00:33:27
Speaker 10: against Joseph. So they grabbed him and they threw him
00:33:34
Speaker 10: into a cistern that had no water, and in verse
00:33:39
Speaker 10: twenty five says that they sat down and had a
00:33:42
Speaker 10: meal together. Listen, this is terrible. Meal moments are intended
00:33:48
Speaker 10: to be covenant conversations, and later on you'll recall Joseph
00:33:56
Speaker 10: prepares a meal for them, much like Cain did with
00:34:04
Speaker 10: his own brother out in the field, they strategized a
00:34:09
Speaker 10: way to strip Joseph of his garment, a preferential treatment,
00:34:14
Speaker 10: and that coat of many colors given to him by
00:34:18
Speaker 10: his father, and this supreme status that Joseph held in
00:34:24
Speaker 10: the family. While the brothers and Joseph were out in
00:34:29
Speaker 10: the field, your Bible says, they grabbed Joseph and stripped
00:34:34
Speaker 10: him of that garment, and they threw him down and
00:34:38
Speaker 10: sewed him to a traveling caravan. And they took that coat,
00:34:44
Speaker 10: that covenant coat of many colors, and they drenched it
00:34:49
Speaker 10: in the blood of an animal. And then they ran
00:34:53
Speaker 10: home and told their father a lie that some wild
00:34:57
Speaker 10: animal had attacked Joseph and killed him, and that he
00:35:02
Speaker 10: was dead. And what those boys didn't know was your
00:35:07
Speaker 10: enemy might be able to tie you up in knots
00:35:11
Speaker 10: some times, and even throw you in a pit some times,
00:35:17
Speaker 10: but they can't bind up the word of God at
00:35:19
Speaker 10: work in your life. They might be able to kick
00:35:24
Speaker 10: you out of the house, but they cannot kick you
00:35:27
Speaker 10: out of the will of God. They might even be
00:35:31
Speaker 10: able to rip up that garment of preferential treatment or
00:35:36
Speaker 10: blessing and convince themselves that it's all over. But they
00:35:42
Speaker 10: they ain't got a clue of what God's already prepared
00:35:46
Speaker 10: for you and waiting for Joseph. And that coat of
00:35:50
Speaker 10: many colors is nothing compared to the garment Joseph's going
00:35:56
Speaker 10: to wear when he's sitting on the throne. The Midianites
00:36:02
Speaker 10: pulled Joseph out of the pit, and the Ishmaelites bought him,
00:36:07
Speaker 10: and the caravan of people you don't even know decides
00:36:12
Speaker 10: whether or not you're going to live or die, whether
00:36:16
Speaker 10: or not you're going to be fed or closed or brutalized.
00:36:22
Speaker 10: They don't even know what it is they're getting bit of.
00:36:27
Speaker 10: Had they known the anointing, really understood the blessing of
00:36:31
Speaker 10: God upon Joseph's life, your life, they would have kept him.
00:36:38
Speaker 7: They would have kept.
00:36:39
Speaker 10: You and used him. Listen, there's times you really wish God,
00:36:46
Speaker 10: you really wish God would just step up and release
00:36:49
Speaker 10: your spiritual gifts and let everybody see and know what
00:36:52
Speaker 10: He himself is doing in your life. And instead He
00:36:56
Speaker 10: just keeps you quiet for a sea and keeps you
00:37:02
Speaker 10: still while it seems that Hell itself just places Joseph
00:37:08
Speaker 10: and you one hold to another that anonymous caravan. But listen,
00:37:19
Speaker 10: before Jacob ever met Rachel, God had already assigned the
00:37:26
Speaker 10: caravan to drive that way that day and buy a slave.
00:37:33
Speaker 10: And when even your own family betrays you, God has
00:37:40
Speaker 10: assigned somebody to come down your road and carry you
00:37:45
Speaker 10: to your destiny. But here's the word for somebody listening
00:37:50
Speaker 10: to me right now.
00:37:51
Speaker 7: Listen.
00:37:52
Speaker 10: The favor of God is upon you so mightily. It's
00:37:58
Speaker 10: so thick that no one can deny it. You are
00:38:03
Speaker 10: cloaked in this coat of covenant. And rather than celebrate you,
00:38:10
Speaker 10: those closest to you sometimes are offended by you, or
00:38:15
Speaker 10: or threatened, or even conspire against us. But you need
00:38:22
Speaker 10: to know that your faithful God, who has favored you,
00:38:30
Speaker 10: has already assigned an anonymous somebody to come your way
00:38:37
Speaker 10: to be part of your deliverance and destiny. It might
00:38:43
Speaker 10: not feel I get it first. Understand. In fact, there
00:38:47
Speaker 10: might be chains in your story for a little while.
00:38:53
Speaker 10: Your persona might not be that of a prime minister,
00:38:58
Speaker 10: but prisoner. You might not get to eat what you
00:39:03
Speaker 10: want to eat when you want to eat it. But
00:39:09
Speaker 10: be faithful and just try to be quiet right now,
00:39:15
Speaker 10: because there's coming a day that nobody eats.
00:39:20
Speaker 1: Until you say so.
00:39:23
Speaker 7: Like Joseph.
00:39:25
Speaker 10: Time and again, the scripture says, in each of those situations,
00:39:32
Speaker 10: but the Lord was with Joseph, hallelujah. You might not
00:39:39
Speaker 10: be able to see the Lord in your situation, but
00:39:42
Speaker 10: he is the Lord of your situation, and he's hovering
00:39:47
Speaker 10: you right now, and he's keeping watch over the anointing.
00:39:53
Speaker 10: You can steal my coat, but you can't take my oil.
00:40:00
Speaker 10: You can steal my freedom, but you can't steal my oil.
00:40:06
Speaker 10: You can lie on me and accuse me unjustly, but
00:40:10
Speaker 10: you cannot steal my oil. You might put me in
00:40:15
Speaker 10: prison and lock me in chains and forget about me,
00:40:18
Speaker 10: but you cannot steal my oil. The anointing of God,
00:40:25
Speaker 10: you need to know, seldom changes your situation immediately, but
00:40:32
Speaker 10: both Heaven and Hell are are fully aware. When oil
00:40:36
Speaker 10: has been poured upon a man or woman of God,
00:40:42
Speaker 10: your oil will most often step up, not when God
00:40:47
Speaker 10: wants to bless you, but when He wants to use you.
00:40:57
Speaker 10: With this season, life is seen only through your rear
00:41:03
Speaker 10: view mirror. You're going to discover that those persons whose
00:41:07
Speaker 10: names you you can't even remember, were instrumental in taking
00:41:13
Speaker 10: you from one abuse or rejection to the next place
00:41:18
Speaker 10: and place of of assignment. Joseph's brothers accused him.
00:41:28
Speaker 7: They did.
00:41:29
Speaker 10: They assaulted him absolutely and abandoned him. I know, but
00:41:35
Speaker 10: God was right there keeping watch over his anointing. God
00:41:42
Speaker 10: has a way of bringing along a caravan a strangers
00:41:46
Speaker 10: who might not discern the oil of God upon your life,
00:41:51
Speaker 10: but who will carry you to your next place of destiny.
00:41:56
Speaker 10: They might never discern your gift at home, did you
00:42:01
Speaker 10: hear me, They'll discover it your assignment in Egypt. They
00:42:10
Speaker 10: might betray you today, but they'll bow to you tomorrow
00:42:17
Speaker 10: who never eat again. Listen, I'm praying for you.
00:42:27
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
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Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
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Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
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Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by
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Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
00:42:55
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Steve Evan Ringwold,
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00:43:04
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