Joseph: The Betrayed

00:00:00 Speaker 1: If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed and shield behold, you are there. Psalm one hundred thirty nine, Verse eight. Dear Lord, we thank you for your unending presence surrounding us every season of life. You are with us in moments of joy and in times of sorrow. Whether we rise to great heights or fall to low places, your love remains constant and true. You are our refuge when the world feels heavy, and our strength when we cannot stand on our own. Forgive us, Lord for the times we forget that you are near. Teach us to rest in your presence, to find comfort in your closeness, and to seek you in every moment. Transform our hearts to be aware of you always fill us with peace that comes from knowing we are never alone. Let your presence be our light in dark places and our song in moments of joy. May we walk daily in faith, guided by your love and grace. Amen, thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Chosen People. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Don't forget to download the Prey dot Com app to stay connected in daily prayer. Thank you for praying with me today you're listening to the Chosen People. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Be sure to leave a review and share your journey of faith today. 00:01:46 Speaker 2: Previously on the Chosen People. The minute Jacob heard those cries from the other side of the tent, he ran in His son cried in Rachel's arms. He was the most beautiful thing Jacob had ever scene. Finally he had a child born. 00:02:03 Speaker 3: From love, My son, My son, I shall name you Joseph. 00:02:11 Speaker 4: The winter is. 00:02:12 Speaker 3: Approaching, and you've already grown out of your old coat. Your mother has been hard at work getting the material for this. 00:02:21 Speaker 2: Jacob took his hands off Joseph's eyes. In front of him, his mother held a long, flowing coat adorned with many colors. Since his father had given him so much favoritism, Joseph truly believed he was superior to them. 00:02:38 Speaker 5: He had the spectacular dream. We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright, and and then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf? 00:02:55 Speaker 4: Are you to rule over us? Joseph? 00:02:58 Speaker 2: Joseph's dreams once a source of personal pride had become a point of contention among his family. His brother's hearts grew colder, their patients thinner, and as Joseph toiled in the fields, he could feel the weight of their resentment pressing down on him, a silent, unseen force waiting to strike. Joseph stared down at the slow moving stream. He dipped his hands into the floe, rubbing his neck with the river's chill. The sun was high and sweltering. Its harsh rays were tortuous, and Joseph was glad he did not have to shepherd the flocks to day. Resting his head on a smooth rock beside the stream, he let his foot dangle lazily in the water. Joseph closed his eyes, thoughts drifting to the dreams that had visited him the night before, Dreams of grandeur, of respect from his brothers, a respect he felt was deserved, though perhaps it was merely wishful thinking. Maybe all Joseph truly yearned for was their favor, a ruffle of the hair, or a shared laugh by the fire. That's all he truly wanted. Blocking out the sun with his hand, he let himself drift into a blissful doze, flashes of his dreams playing in his mind, sheaves of grain bowing before him, the sun, moon and stars encircling him. Ah, just a dream, But it wasn't just a dream. Joseph's visions of grandeur may have been misplaced, but his dreams were not. They were a sign and a warning of things to come. Joseph awoke to his father's footsteps. Jacob made his way towards the stream, and playfully he splashed Joseph with his walking stick. 00:05:02 Speaker 3: Lounging about while the others work, I see, if you want to rule the moon and the stars one day, you will need a stronger work ethic. 00:05:12 Speaker 5: Maybe I'll just disguise myself as Reuben and inherit all my riches. 00:05:16 Speaker 2: Jacob splashed Joseph in her face again. The two laughed, enjoying another moment of connection. Jacob's gaze turned serious as he looked towards the distant canyons. 00:05:30 Speaker 3: Your brothers should be pestering the France and near Shechem right now. We do not have good dealings with the people in Shechem. 00:05:37 Speaker 2: Jacob sighed and brought Joseph in close. The two walked from the stream back to the tents. 00:05:43 Speaker 3: Your brothers are not like you, Joseph. They are unruly and disobey me frequently. I don't fear God and I do not trust them. I need you to go to Shechem and check up on them. Go there and me back a report. 00:06:01 Speaker 5: I met your will Father. I'll go and return what I learn more. 00:06:06 Speaker 2: Joseph donned his new coat and set off towards Shechem, pulling the coat over his head to shield himself from the sun. The valley was blistering, but Shechem was known for its springs, where the sheep might drink. Perhaps his brothers had sought relief in the pools. He passed by the springs, but saw no sign of them. He went to the fields where the sheep was supposed to be, yet again found no trace of them or his brothers. Joseph walked for miles, the sun descending from its zenith, the heat of the day beginning to wane. He took refuge under a tree, wiping sweat from his brow. 00:06:45 Speaker 5: Ah, perhaps they've gone again to Tymna. 00:06:48 Speaker 2: His brothers, though mischievous and unruly, were never irresponsible. Joseph admired them, longing to be part of their camaraderie. Yet his father's favor for it Ism alienated him from them. Their jealousy a constant barrier under the shade. Joseph's sighed, considering abandoning his search. Then a man approached with a small herd of goats. 00:07:14 Speaker 6: You aren't from around here, are you? 00:07:17 Speaker 5: No, I'm from the house of Jacob. Have you seen a large flock of sheep with ten herders. They're my brothers, and they're supposed to be here in the hills of shechem Ah. 00:07:27 Speaker 6: Yes, yes, there was a loud group of men that came through these hills. I had to take my goods elsewhere, since the flock was so large and unruly excellent. 00:07:38 Speaker 5: Where might I find them? Did you see which direction they went? 00:07:43 Speaker 6: I overheard them saying about Dothan. One of them was rather loud and seemed to lead the rest. 00:07:51 Speaker 5: Oh Judah, Thank you, sir. 00:07:54 Speaker 2: Joseph bowed to the herder and ran towards Dothan, his long, lean legs swiftly carrying him towards the canyons. Dothan was close nestled in a valley surrounded by canyons and hills. Joseph quickly worked the trails, climbing over rocks with grace and ease. Even at seventeen, he stood taller than most of his brothers save for Reuben and Judah. He hopped from one stone to another with the swiftness of a mountain goat. He hoisted himself onto a rock at the canyon's edge, overlooking the valley. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows. Joseph scanned the valley, spotting the large flock of sheep, but not his brothers. He descended the mountain wall, following a narrow shaded trail. The brothers lurked in the shadows. 00:08:46 Speaker 4: Oh, just as expected, of course, Father sent him to spy on us. His little dog will do anything for a pet on the head. 00:08:57 Speaker 5: Perhaps he'll fall off the edge. That was solve our problems. 00:09:01 Speaker 2: The rest of the brothers laughed, all except Reuben. He could send something corrupt brewing from within the group. Simeon stood to his feet and pointed back at Joseph. 00:09:13 Speaker 5: What's keeping us from just putting an end to him? Why are we really going to wait for father to die and give his entire inheritance to the youngest. 00:09:23 Speaker 2: Ash's head perked up. 00:09:25 Speaker 5: Would father really do that. 00:09:27 Speaker 4: Of course he would. Father was the youngest. Remember he sympathized us with the boy. Look at the coat he's wearing. When has father ever given you something that much worth? 00:09:41 Speaker 5: It would be so easy just to blame it on a wild animal. These canyons are filled with wolves. You could kill him and no one would ever find him. 00:09:54 Speaker 2: The brothers began to stir. What began as small jokes had turned into a serious conversation. As Joseph continued to approach the bottom of the hill, the groups resolved to harm him increased. Reuben was growing uneasy. He was the eldest and had the most to lose from Joseph's prominence. But he wasn't petty and spiteful like his childish younger brothers. 00:10:18 Speaker 7: Brothers, you don't want his blood on your hands. Throw him in one of these pits. We'll teach you a lesson. If he dies in there, he dies by at least you will. 00:10:28 Speaker 2: Not the one to kill him. Reuben's suggestion was a calculated attempt to save Joseph's life. Although Reuben was the eldest, Judah held the sway in influence. If he could persuade them to leave Joseph in a pit. He could rescue him later. 00:10:46 Speaker 4: Here he comes, We'll see what comes of his dreams. 00:10:49 Speaker 2: Now, Joseph finally hopped off the last stone leading to the trail. The canyons blocked out the sun and provided some welcome shade. He jogged down the trail, expecting to find his brothers on the other end of the tunnel like structure. However, Joseph could hear a stirring in the shadows. He stopped and turned. Whispers echoed through the canyons. 00:11:14 Speaker 5: Who's there, The dreamer is here. 00:11:19 Speaker 2: The voice mocked from the darkness. Joseph looked over to see Judah emerging from a crack in the mountain. The other brothers appeared from the shadows behind him. Their eyes portrayed an ancient evil that had plagued humanity since the very beginning. They revealed a deep wickedness that had been brewing since the First family. The heart of Cain, who murdered his brother Abel, was beating in the sons of Jacob. They hated Joseph for his favor and were trapped in a prison of jealousy. Sensing the danger, Joseph stepped back, but the brothers had surrounded him. 00:11:57 Speaker 4: Where are you running off to baby? Are you afraid? 00:12:04 Speaker 2: Joseph gulped. There was no escaping what was about to come. His eyes darted toward the trail. He sprinted forward, only to be stopped by his brothers and shoved back into the middle of the circle. They closed in on him. Simeon plunged forward for the first blow, right to the jaw. Joseph recoiled and stumbled back, only to be shoved to the ground by Levi. His brothers pounced on him, tearing their coat right off his body. Their kicks seemed endless. Joseph could feel his ribs cracking under the pressure of their blows. 00:12:37 Speaker 5: No stop, someone, help, help. 00:12:40 Speaker 2: Help me, Joseph cried, but his brothers were too enraged to give mercy. Judah picked Joseph up by his hair and held his face tightly. 00:12:50 Speaker 4: Ah, tell me, Joseph, in all your dreaming, did you ever imagine this? 00:12:58 Speaker 2: Tears streamed out on Joseph's face. He couldn't speak, He could barely breathe. Judah threw him against the rocks. Joseph lay there helplessly. His brothers were filled with spite. They took his limp and mangled body, and threw him into an empty pit. Joseph tumbled down fifteen feet, hitting the cold dirt below. A cloud of dust rose in the air. As Joseph's body hid the ground, he gasped for breath, coughing up blood and dirt. Joseph rolled onto his back, Seeing the silhouetted faces of his brothers above, His eyes were growing dim and the light from above was slipping from his sight. Feeling broken and abandoned, Joseph closed his eyes. All was dark. The sons of Israel, still fumed with adrenaline. They looked down at Joseph lying motionless in the pit. They spat down the pit and turned back to their flock. They sat in the fields, enjoying a meal. As they broke apart their bread and drank from their wine skins, they considered what to do with Joseph. 00:14:09 Speaker 4: Oh, thanks, what do we do now? Robin? It was your idea to leave him in the pit. If we leave him there and then you'll either die or escape? Mean do we risk either? Leave him? For now? 00:14:23 Speaker 8: We will go back home and consider what to do with him. Perhaps we will be consumed by beasts to night. We won't have to lie to father. 00:14:33 Speaker 2: Reuben was planning on saving Joseph later that night. He just needed his brothers gone. Reuben stood to his feet and stretched. 00:14:41 Speaker 8: Ah, Ah, brothers, I'm going to sell a few of our sheep to the nearby shearers. I'll be back shortly. Then we can go home and decide what to do with Joseph. 00:14:54 Speaker 2: The brothers nodded, and Reuben left down the trail to go barter with the nearby merchants. Judah sat alone on a stone, looking intently at the canyons where they left Joseph. His stare was intense and unyielding. His chest swelled with jealous rage. He was completely gripped with hatred. At the corner of his eye, Judah could see some ishmaelites coming from Gilead. They had camels bearing gum, balm and spices. Judah recognized these merchants. He had seen them in the darker parts of the city. He knew these men were more than spice merchants. They were slave traders. Judah stood up and skipped a few stones on the near by creek. 00:15:41 Speaker 4: Reuben is naive. 00:15:44 Speaker 2: The brothers perked their ears to him and listened. 00:15:47 Speaker 4: He thinks he can save Joseph to gain favor with father. He's short sighted. That boy will steal his birthright, or worse, Father will give it to him on a platter. 00:15:59 Speaker 5: Judah, we will be banished if Father finds out what we did. 00:16:03 Speaker 4: We could kill him blame it on some animals or raiders, but that would profit us nothing. My brothers, how would you all like a shining new coat like Joseph's. Why don't we sell him? There are spice merchants a few yards from the town entrance. I happen to know that they are slave traders. Joseph is a strong young man. They would pay us a handsome sum of money for him. 00:16:38 Speaker 2: The brothers were silent for a long moment. They were beginning to realize what they had done. There was no turning back. They either needed to kill him or sell him away. If they didn't, they would risk their father finding out. The brothers looked up at Judah as their appointed leader and nodded. Judah smiled and walked over to the ishmaelites. Judah approached them with his arms wide open, his charming smile shone in the setting sun. Judah was a charismatic man. He was clever like his father, but lacked the humility gain through years of struggle and wrestling. 00:17:17 Speaker 4: My friends, I have an offer for you. 00:17:20 Speaker 2: The Ishmaelites turned their attention to Judah. He sauntered to their camels and began to stroke their noses. 00:17:27 Speaker 4: I know you are spice traders, but I hear you deal in much rarer items as well. Is that true? 00:17:35 Speaker 2: Before Judah could continue, he found himself pinned to the ground, blades at his throat. Their leader stood over him, a tall dark man with a slender frame and a crooked face. 00:17:48 Speaker 5: Do not toy with us, son of Jacob. 00:17:52 Speaker 2: We know your father. 00:17:54 Speaker 9: Is tell us your offer, nothing more. We want little to do with you in your family. 00:18:02 Speaker 2: Judah coughed and winced on the ground. The brothers ran towards him, but promptly stopped when they saw their blades drawn. Still on the floor, Judah raised his hands and pointed north. 00:18:13 Speaker 4: Oh, okay, okay. Light Lying in a pit just north of here, there was a young young man. He's seventeen. He's strong, lean and able to work. What what will you give us for? 00:18:31 Speaker 2: The Ishmaelights sheathed their swords, discussing amongst themselves. Their leader peered back at Judah, his expression calculating. The sun was setting, and Judah's brothers grew anxious, knowing Reuben would soon return. Finally, the leader approached, gesturing toward the canyons. 00:18:52 Speaker 9: If the boys healthy and able bodied, we'll give you twenty shekels of silver. 00:19:00 Speaker 2: Judah looked back at his brothers. They hadn't imagined having such wealth. He shook hands with the ishmael light, leading them to the pit where Joseph lay trapped. Hours had passed since Joseph hid the jagged rocks below. Every breath was a struggle, each inhalation a stab of pain. He leaned against the cold stone wall, his lips parched, his tongue swollen. He looked up, seeing the sky painted in deep red hues as the sun set. Tears streamed down his dusty face. 00:19:38 Speaker 5: Oh God, what have I done to deserve this? Did you just give me these dreams to mark me? Sh toying with me? 00:19:49 Speaker 8: Why? 00:19:51 Speaker 2: Joseph was met with silence. The crimson clouds above rolled faster to the evening wind. Joseph gazed blankly at the small opening where he had been thrown in. He desperately wanted to believe that one of his brothers would come to save him. As he looked above, he saw a rope fall down through the entrance and fall down at his feet. Hope flickered in his heart. Perhaps Reuben had returned with mercy. He tied the rope around his waist, using what little strength he had to climb. Joseph stood at the pit's edge and saw his brothers a few feet away. Relief washed over him. He had thought they had abandoned him. He limped towards them, smiling, but a rope was thrown around his neck, yanking him back. He fell, gasping for air, his legs kicking in desperation. Tied to the end of a camel, Joseph looked up to see the tall, slender man looming over him. The ishmael like leader grabbed Joseph's jaw, examining him with invasive force. 00:20:56 Speaker 9: Ah twenty pieces of silver, Asley agreed. 00:21:01 Speaker 2: Joseph watched his brothers walk away one by one. The last was Judah, who lingered in silence, watching Joseph cart it off like livestock. Joseph's cries for health were choked by the tight rope. Tears filled his eyes, his heart heavy with betrayal. The sun said, the stars taking its place. As Joseph was taken towards Egypt, a slave's fate awaiting him, he kept his gaze fixed south toward Canaan, the land he was leaving behind the home that had betrayed him. Reuben returned to find his brothers near the canyon. He looked into the pit and saw that it was empty, his heart filled with bitter regret. 00:21:50 Speaker 3: Where is he? 00:21:52 Speaker 2: None of the brothers answered, They allowed him to mourn. At the entrance of the pit. Simeon stood next to him and put his hand on his shoulder. He pulled out two silver shekels and handed them to him. 00:22:04 Speaker 5: What's done is done, Reuben. It was out of your hands. Here take your share. 00:22:11 Speaker 2: Simeon tossed him his share of the spoils. Reuben gripped the coins, their weight heavy in his hand. He realized his grave mistake. His attempt to outsmart his brothers had failed. Joseph was gone. Reuben sighed, tossing the coins into the pit, there clanging, echoing. He took his staff and some sheep, leaving his brothers and their conspiracy behind and walking back to their father. The others slaughtered a sheep, splattering its blood on Joseph's coat, tearing it to pieces and soiling it with dirt. With melancholy faces, they returned to Jacob. Judah, Simeon, and Levi entered Jacob's tent first, carrying the mangled robe as if it were a dying child. They bowed before Jacob, their eyes filled with feigned sorrow. 00:23:06 Speaker 4: Father, we found this by the Kenyons near shechem Is, Sir, is this Joseph's. 00:23:16 Speaker 2: Jacob stood, taking the coat in his hands, shock and anguish filling his face. He walked outside, falling to his knees, pressing the bloody coat to his face. My son, my son, Jacob was inconsolable. His remaining sons tried to comfort him, but he refused. He tore his clothes and screamed to the heavens. He looked up with bloodshot eyes and bodies shaking with grief. 00:23:52 Speaker 4: My morning will not cease until I joined my beloved son the grave. 00:24:02 Speaker 2: Jacob buried his head in the dirt. His cries were deep, bellowing and heavy. They shook the earth beneath him. This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google play Store. 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