# 60 - Joseph: The Governor - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Joseph navigates the complexities of leadership as famine grips Egypt, balancing compassion and strategy to ensure survival. Explore the themes of legacy, divine provision, and the transformative power of faith in this pivotal chapter of God's plan.
Episode 60 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
Sign up for The Chosen People devotionals at https://www.thechosenpeople.com/sign-up
For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Proverbs 13:22, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.”
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:
(02:08) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:05) Joseph: The Governor - Cinematic Retelling
(16:04) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00:00
Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People.
00:00:03
Speaker 2: Father, I'm struggling to find the words. What is it?
00:00:11
Speaker 2: Your son Joseph is alive? Father? Are you laughing?
00:00:28
Speaker 1: As quickly as the wind shifted on the planes, Jacob
00:00:32
Speaker 1: spun around with a beaming smile that broke through the night.
00:00:36
Speaker 1: His feet tapped in the dust as he pranced around
00:00:39
Speaker 1: the fire, laughing and singing.
00:00:42
Speaker 3: My son is alive, My son is alive.
00:00:48
Speaker 2: But did you hear what we told you? We lied
00:00:50
Speaker 2: to you.
00:00:51
Speaker 3: I too old to care about that quick fact, these cuts.
00:00:56
Speaker 4: Let's move.
00:00:58
Speaker 2: We have to reach Egypt before I die.
00:01:02
Speaker 3: You and I both know that could be any minute.
00:01:06
Speaker 5: I mean, look at me.
00:01:10
Speaker 1: Joseph was beaming with joy. Tears welled up in his
00:01:13
Speaker 1: eyes as he saw the small caravan of people.
00:01:16
Speaker 5: In the distance.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: Father, it had been many years since they had seen
00:01:20
Speaker 1: each other. Jacob stepped forward and touched his son's face.
00:01:26
Speaker 1: Tears streamed down the cracks of his face.
00:01:29
Speaker 2: Is it you, my son?
00:01:31
Speaker 5: Yes, Father, it's me. I'm here.
00:01:36
Speaker 6: Do not fear the unknown. I am your God, Am
00:01:41
Speaker 6: the god of your father. Do not fear going down
00:01:45
Speaker 6: to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation.
00:01:51
Speaker 6: I will go before you, and I will also bring
00:01:54
Speaker 6: you back up again when the time comes, and when
00:01:58
Speaker 6: it is time for you to depart from this world.
00:02:01
Speaker 6: T week be Joseph who closes your eyes.
00:02:10
Speaker 7: As famine devoured the land, Joseph's wisdom became the lifeline
00:02:14
Speaker 7: for a kingdom on the brink. Shallow, my friends, from
00:02:18
Speaker 7: here in the Holy Land of Israel, Amya l Exstein
00:02:21
Speaker 7: with the international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome
00:02:26
Speaker 7: to the Chosen People. Have you ever felt the burden
00:02:29
Speaker 7: of a promise made to you our forefather Joseph did
00:02:33
Speaker 7: in the land of Egypt, under the weight of a
00:02:35
Speaker 7: covenant made in times of plenty, tested in days of hunger,
00:02:39
Speaker 7: Joseph stood as a beacon of wisdom, navigating a nation
00:02:42
Speaker 7: through the desolation of famine. Before we traverse the sands
00:02:48
Speaker 7: of ancient Egypt from Genesis forty seven one to twenty six,
00:02:53
Speaker 7: we'll see how one man's righteousness alters the fate of
00:02:56
Speaker 7: an entire nation, And we'll ask ourselves, what would we
00:03:01
Speaker 7: do to save the ones that we love.
00:03:07
Speaker 1: Joseph entered Pharaoh's Great Halls, ivory beams shimmering in the
00:03:13
Speaker 1: afternoon sun. There Pharaoh sat on his throne, a vision
00:03:18
Speaker 1: of power matching the intensity of the sun. Five of
00:03:22
Speaker 1: his brothers padded behind him, heads reverent and low. As
00:03:26
Speaker 1: they approached the throne of the most powerful man in
00:03:29
Speaker 1: the world. Pharaoh's face, while usually friendly toward Joseph, was
00:03:35
Speaker 1: impassive in the presence of his brothers. Joseph turned his
00:03:39
Speaker 1: head slightly to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and Dissaca and whispered.
00:03:45
Speaker 5: You will not speak unless spoken to. Your heads need
00:03:50
Speaker 5: to remain bowed unless you are prompted to speak. If
00:03:54
Speaker 5: he asks you what you do, tell him you are herders,
00:03:58
Speaker 5: but only because you're ancestors were before you. Why is
00:04:02
Speaker 5: that sheep and cattle are revered here in Egypt, so
00:04:07
Speaker 5: those who raise livestock for meat are considered fiends. If
00:04:12
Speaker 5: your ancestors were hurt us, that means you didn't choose
00:04:15
Speaker 5: the profession for yourself. Then your character will not be
00:04:18
Speaker 5: tarnished in Pharaoh's eyes. Does this mean we'll have to
00:04:22
Speaker 5: give up raising our sheep? Quiet or approaching?
00:04:26
Speaker 1: The brothers came before Pharaoh with wide anxious eyes. Joseph
00:04:31
Speaker 1: had Pharaoh's blessing and favor but they were in uncharted territory.
00:04:37
Speaker 1: This was not an alliance. The sons of Israel were
00:04:40
Speaker 1: dependent on Pharaoh's generosity. It was up to Joseph to
00:04:45
Speaker 1: advocate on their behalf.
00:04:47
Speaker 5: Lord Pharaoh, I present to you five of my brothers.
00:04:51
Speaker 5: They represent my father's nation and their families. My eleven brothers,
00:04:55
Speaker 5: my father, their flocks, and all they possess. Have co
00:05:00
Speaker 5: from Canaan. I have them in the land of Goshen,
00:05:03
Speaker 5: on the grassy plains outside the city. If it pleases you,
00:05:07
Speaker 5: I will have them remain there. Bring them before me.
00:05:11
Speaker 1: The Pharaoh scan the men up and down, observing their
00:05:15
Speaker 1: frames and discerning their intents. Pharaohs were said to have
00:05:20
Speaker 1: the eyes of the gods, seeing and discerning the thoughts
00:05:24
Speaker 1: and intents of friends and foes. Although Joseph didn't believe
00:05:28
Speaker 1: all the legends, he knew this pharaoh to be a
00:05:32
Speaker 1: keen and wise judge of character.
00:05:35
Speaker 3: Brothers of Zephoneth Prinaea, you hail from Canaan, beyond my rule,
00:05:41
Speaker 3: and in the outlands of peasants and barbarians. Tell me
00:05:47
Speaker 3: what is your occupation.
00:05:52
Speaker 8: Your servants are shepherds, Lord Pharaoh. Our forefathers were all shepherds.
00:05:57
Speaker 8: It is all we have known from our youth.
00:06:00
Speaker 3: I'm aware that not all nations hold the will of
00:06:03
Speaker 3: the gods as closely as I do.
00:06:06
Speaker 2: But you are within my borders.
00:06:10
Speaker 8: We have come to this land as guests and sojourners.
00:06:13
Speaker 8: There are no pastures here for our flocks. We are
00:06:16
Speaker 8: here because the blight has ravaged our land. Please, by
00:06:19
Speaker 8: your mercy and goodness, allow your servants to dwell in Goshen.
00:06:25
Speaker 1: Pharaoh turned to Joseph, his eyes keen and knowing. He
00:06:29
Speaker 1: saw the dangers of having the Hebrews so close, but
00:06:33
Speaker 1: he also saw the rewards.
00:06:36
Speaker 3: We must tread lightly, Zephaneth Peneia. The people are fragile,
00:06:41
Speaker 3: and I will not have the balance upset.
00:06:44
Speaker 5: Understood, Lord Pharaoh, your.
00:06:46
Speaker 3: Father and brothers have come to you, the land of
00:06:51
Speaker 3: Egypt is before you go, settle your family in the
00:06:55
Speaker 3: best parts of the land. By the decree of the
00:06:58
Speaker 3: Morning and evening Star, the image of Ra and Sovereign
00:07:02
Speaker 3: of the Nile, I gift you the land of Goshen.
00:07:07
Speaker 3: All I ask in return is you tend to my
00:07:10
Speaker 3: live stock as well with the able bodied men that
00:07:13
Speaker 3: you have to spare.
00:07:15
Speaker 5: Your kindness is as vast as the Nile. But we
00:07:18
Speaker 5: know your power courses as strong as its current. I
00:07:22
Speaker 5: will settle my family in Goshen.
00:07:25
Speaker 3: Do so swiftly, Zeppinet Panea, we have urgent matters of
00:07:29
Speaker 3: the nation.
00:07:30
Speaker 5: Yes, my Lord Pharaoh, before they leave, I would have
00:07:34
Speaker 5: my father meet you so we can bless you.
00:07:36
Speaker 1: Bring him, Joseph dismissed his brothers. Waiting on the other
00:07:41
Speaker 1: side of the corridor was Jacob. When Joseph found him,
00:07:45
Speaker 1: he was staring blankly out the window, rubbing his hip.
00:07:49
Speaker 1: His eyes were lighter than Joseph remembered. Reflected in them
00:07:53
Speaker 1: was a lifetime of adventure, sorrow, triumph and regret.
00:07:59
Speaker 5: Father, are you ready to meet the Pharaoh?
00:08:02
Speaker 3: I suppose it's only fitting. My father and grandfather both
00:08:08
Speaker 3: met his forefathers, though under somewhat stranger circumstances. But as
00:08:15
Speaker 3: I look back, I suppose I am not too different
00:08:19
Speaker 3: than them. I've lived a life full of lies, fear,
00:08:25
Speaker 3: and failure like Abraham, but I've all witnessed beauty and
00:08:33
Speaker 3: faith like Isaac.
00:08:36
Speaker 1: Jacob trailed off his mind, wandering to a different place.
00:08:41
Speaker 1: Joseph gently grabbed his elbow and led him down. The
00:08:45
Speaker 1: palace halls into the throne room of Pharaoh. The king
00:08:49
Speaker 1: seemed puzzled by Jacob, as if he'd imagined someone different.
00:08:54
Speaker 5: Lord Pharaoh, my father Jacob, also named Israel by our
00:08:58
Speaker 5: God Israel.
00:09:00
Speaker 3: How many years have you lived?
00:09:03
Speaker 5: Oh?
00:09:04
Speaker 3: The days of my sojourning here on this earth are
00:09:08
Speaker 3: one hundred thirty. I am old, but look older than
00:09:14
Speaker 3: my father and grandfather did at this age. My days
00:09:19
Speaker 3: have been few and evil, grief, loss, and struggle have
00:09:26
Speaker 3: aged me considerably, or else I'd be much more lively
00:09:30
Speaker 3: in front of the great Pharaoh. The God you follow
00:09:33
Speaker 3: has blessed my nation considerably. Ah Yes, and may he
00:09:38
Speaker 3: continue to bless you for your generosity towards his chosen people.
00:09:45
Speaker 3: May the God of my father's Abraham and Isaac, the
00:09:50
Speaker 3: Almighty creator of heaven and Earth, bless you, Pharaoh, with
00:09:55
Speaker 3: wisdom and discernment to rule your people with justice and compassion.
00:10:03
Speaker 3: May your reign be marked by prosperity and peace, and
00:10:09
Speaker 3: may the land of Egypt flourish under your leadership. May
00:10:13
Speaker 3: the Nile, the lifeblood of your nation, continue to flow abundantly,
00:10:19
Speaker 3: bringing nourishment and fertility to the fields. May your harvests
00:10:25
Speaker 3: be bountiful. Your granary is full, and your people never
00:10:30
Speaker 3: know hunger. May He protect you and your household, granting
00:10:36
Speaker 3: you long life and health. May your descendants prosper and
00:10:42
Speaker 3: your legacy endure through the generations. As you have shown
00:10:48
Speaker 3: kindness to my family, bringing us into your land and
00:10:52
Speaker 3: providing for us in our time of need. May the
00:10:56
Speaker 3: God of Israel repay your generosity, Manifold. May you find
00:11:01
Speaker 3: favor in the eyes of My God, and may his
00:11:05
Speaker 3: presence guide you in all your endeavors. Peace be upon
00:11:10
Speaker 3: you and your house Pharaoh. May you walk in the
00:11:14
Speaker 3: light of God's wisdom and be a beacon of justice
00:11:18
Speaker 3: and righteousness for your people.
00:11:21
Speaker 5: Paymen.
00:11:23
Speaker 1: The blessing rang in the room like a deep gone.
00:11:27
Speaker 1: Pharaoh remained motionless, although his eyes betrayed sincere joy and gratitude.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: Joseph stood in awe of his father, the trickster Jacob.
00:11:40
Speaker 1: Now standing before Pharaoh as a patriarch of God's people, noble, wise,
00:11:46
Speaker 1: and content with his life, the creases of his eyes moistened.
00:11:51
Speaker 5: Let's go, Father, Thank you, Lord, Pharaoh.
00:11:54
Speaker 1: Joseph secured his family in Goshen. It would be their
00:11:59
Speaker 1: refuge from the onslaught of the blighted famine, a safe
00:12:03
Speaker 1: haven to be preserved and multiply into a great nation.
00:12:08
Speaker 1: Joseph returned to the storehouses, where an angry mob had amassed.
00:12:13
Speaker 1: Gods stood with shields and spears at the ready. Joseph
00:12:18
Speaker 1: quickened his pace.
00:12:19
Speaker 5: Up the path.
00:12:20
Speaker 2: What is the meaning of this? Is of it?
00:12:22
Speaker 9: Not, Pania? You're finally here.
00:12:24
Speaker 5: The people are getting violent? What's wrong?
00:12:27
Speaker 9: The people are out of money. The famine has stalled
00:12:29
Speaker 9: the economy since known whom money is flowing back to
00:12:32
Speaker 9: the people. They can't afford to buy grain from the storehouses.
00:12:36
Speaker 5: Ah. I feared this would happen. Bartering. Bartering has dwindled
00:12:41
Speaker 5: month after months.
00:12:42
Speaker 9: Do we open up ledgers of credit for them?
00:12:45
Speaker 5: No, under no circumstances can we let that happen. We
00:12:48
Speaker 5: have years of famine left. The death would crush them.
00:12:52
Speaker 9: If the silver runs out, we have no other option
00:12:55
Speaker 9: but to give it away for free.
00:12:57
Speaker 5: No, then we can't pay the guards who will enforce
00:13:00
Speaker 5: its distribution for the palace that governs the operation. Anyone
00:13:04
Speaker 5: strong enough to take the storehouse's will, and then the
00:13:07
Speaker 5: weak will not survive.
00:13:09
Speaker 9: Ah, I'm at a loss of it. Not Pania, What
00:13:13
Speaker 9: shall we do?
00:13:14
Speaker 1: Joseph turned to the people. Their faces were marked by
00:13:18
Speaker 1: hunger and desperation.
00:13:20
Speaker 4: Give us food, Sepnesspania, Do you want us to starve?
00:13:25
Speaker 4: We have no money to pay.
00:13:27
Speaker 2: Will you let your citizens run away in hunger?
00:13:30
Speaker 1: Joseph thought for a long while. An idea took root
00:13:34
Speaker 1: in his mind, but he could see where its branches
00:13:37
Speaker 1: would lead. He had to choose between the people's lives
00:13:41
Speaker 1: and the people's freedom.
00:13:43
Speaker 5: Ah Blastodol, have a solution, But what is it? People
00:13:49
Speaker 5: will no longer be their own. They will be pharaohs.
00:13:52
Speaker 9: Aren't they all ready in devotion?
00:13:55
Speaker 5: Yes, but not in property? But I see no other
00:13:58
Speaker 5: options at times goffer desperate measures.
00:14:02
Speaker 1: Joseph raised his hands to the crowd, then gestured to
00:14:06
Speaker 1: his scribes to make a decree.
00:14:08
Speaker 10: Hear me, citizens of Egypt, I by the authority vested
00:14:13
Speaker 10: in me by the morning and evening star the image
00:14:16
Speaker 10: of raw Pharaoh, make a decree to those who run
00:14:21
Speaker 10: out of silver to pay for grain.
00:14:23
Speaker 5: Bring your horses, flocks and donkeys. Bring your herds and
00:14:28
Speaker 5: any livestock in your possession. We will take a tally
00:14:31
Speaker 5: of them, and they will belong to Pharaoh in exchange
00:14:34
Speaker 5: for your rations of grain. Thank you, zeppne Peler, bless
00:14:39
Speaker 5: you for your wisdom. You think me now, but I
00:14:42
Speaker 5: see where this is headed.
00:14:45
Speaker 1: The famine didn't relent. Its tendrils spread throughout the land,
00:14:50
Speaker 1: tightening its grip on the people of Egypt. Soon there
00:14:54
Speaker 1: was no more livestock to trade for grain. Joseph's fear
00:14:58
Speaker 1: was realized. The people press the storehouses, ready to trade
00:15:02
Speaker 1: anything for food.
00:15:04
Speaker 2: All we have left is our land and our bodies.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: We will gladly give both for food.
00:15:10
Speaker 5: What must we do for more grain?
00:15:12
Speaker 4: Please?
00:15:13
Speaker 5: Ef naf Pania. We don't want to die.
00:15:16
Speaker 9: Is it not, Pania? If they give their land, then
00:15:20
Speaker 9: how will they eat? When the famine has passed.
00:15:23
Speaker 5: The land will belong to Pharaoh, and he will let
00:15:25
Speaker 5: them dwell there. If they work, he will provide the seed,
00:15:29
Speaker 5: and they will give Pharaoh back one fifth of their crops.
00:15:33
Speaker 9: This is what you feared would happen.
00:15:35
Speaker 5: Yes, but there's no avoiding it now. These people need
00:15:39
Speaker 5: to eat, and we can't give the grain away, or
00:15:42
Speaker 5: else it will devolve into chaos. This is the last
00:15:46
Speaker 5: day they will be citizens of a nation. They will
00:15:48
Speaker 5: now be serfs in an empire.
00:15:51
Speaker 9: Pharaoh will be pleased.
00:15:52
Speaker 5: Yes, but our Pharaoh is wise and just. We will
00:15:57
Speaker 5: see if his son, who will inherit this power, would
00:16:01
Speaker 5: be as merciful and kind.
00:16:06
Speaker 6: Wow.
00:16:07
Speaker 7: What a story. Joseph, the favored son turned Egyptian governor,
00:16:11
Speaker 7: navigating the tension between his heritage and his new role.
00:16:15
Speaker 7: A man led by wisdom straight from God, bound by
00:16:18
Speaker 7: the legacy of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a shepherd becomes
00:16:22
Speaker 7: a savior. Imagine the tension Joseph felt as he presented
00:16:26
Speaker 7: his brothers to Pharaoh. The survival of his family hung
00:16:30
Speaker 7: in the balance. His strategy, born from divine wisdom, secured
00:16:35
Speaker 7: their place in a foreign land. Rebbe Abraham Joshua Heshel
00:16:40
Speaker 7: once said, faith is not a clinging to a shrine,
00:16:43
Speaker 7: but an endless pilgrimage of the heart. Joseph's life was
00:16:48
Speaker 7: that pilgrimage, from the pit to Potifar's house, to prison,
00:16:53
Speaker 7: and finally to the palace. With every step he found
00:16:56
Speaker 7: God was present and with every step adapted to each challenge,
00:17:02
Speaker 7: never clinging to the past, but always moving forward with
00:17:05
Speaker 7: eyes fixed on the promises of God. Joseph's life is
00:17:10
Speaker 7: a reflection of a greater calling, not just survival, but
00:17:14
Speaker 7: a legacy, one that isn't measured in material wealth, but
00:17:17
Speaker 7: in faith, passed down from generation to generation. Let's be
00:17:23
Speaker 7: inspired by Joseph's heart of stewardship. Let's live out our
00:17:27
Speaker 7: calling with integrity, wisdom, and faithfulness, just like Joseph did.
00:17:32
Speaker 7: We are on our own pilgrimage, aren't we. Whether it's
00:17:36
Speaker 7: navigating a difficult career, managing family tensions, or even wheathering
00:17:41
Speaker 7: a global crisis. The question remains, how will we walk
00:17:46
Speaker 7: this journey? Joseph teaches us to plan for the future,
00:17:50
Speaker 7: to think beyond the immediate, and invest in what truly matters, faith, family,
00:17:56
Speaker 7: and community. His stewardship during the famine wasn't just storing grain.
00:18:01
Speaker 7: It was about ensuring the survival of a people and
00:18:06
Speaker 7: a legacy. And that legacy it was forged not just
00:18:11
Speaker 7: in wisdom, but in forgiveness. Joseph could have harbored resentment
00:18:16
Speaker 7: against his brothers, he could have let bitterness rule his heart,
00:18:21
Speaker 7: and instead he chose to forgive, and in that act,
00:18:24
Speaker 7: his family's future was secured. Grace, not revenge. Shape to
00:18:29
Speaker 7: Joseph's story, and what about us in our fractured relationships.
00:18:35
Speaker 7: Joseph's example challenges us to forgive, to see the bigger picture,
00:18:40
Speaker 7: to trust that God's plans are greater than our pain.
00:18:44
Speaker 7: As we walk our own pilgrimages, may we, like Joseph,
00:18:49
Speaker 7: navigate our lives with wisdom, faith, and a heart ready
00:18:54
Speaker 7: to forgive, trusting that God is guiding us through every challenge.
00:19:00
Speaker 7: But in this Bible's story, something or some one else
00:19:04
Speaker 7: stands out besides Joseph. It's Jacob Israel, the man who
00:19:09
Speaker 7: once fled in fear now stands as a patriarch. His
00:19:14
Speaker 7: trembling hands bless Pharaoh. His words carry the weight of
00:19:19
Speaker 7: a covenant that spans generations. Jacob's journey from wrestling with
00:19:24
Speaker 7: God to being blessed by God mirrors the journey of
00:19:28
Speaker 7: the Chosen people. Because that's what this story we're exploring
00:19:34
Speaker 7: each day is all about, isn't it God's chosen people Israel.
00:19:40
Speaker 7: Towards the end of this chapter, the Bible tells us,
00:19:44
Speaker 7: now the Israelite settled in Egypt in the region of Gshen.
00:19:48
Speaker 7: They acquired property there and were fruitful, increased greatly in number.
00:19:54
Speaker 7: Here's the phrase I want you to pay attention to.
00:19:58
Speaker 7: It's a quote in Hebrew Viajzuba, and it's translated and
00:20:04
Speaker 7: this translation as they acquired property there, But that's not
00:20:10
Speaker 7: literally what it means. The literal translation would be and
00:20:14
Speaker 7: they were grasped by it. Jewish tradition teaches that this
00:20:19
Speaker 7: phrase speaks of assimilation into the ancient Egyptian culture, which
00:20:25
Speaker 7: was not a culture of morality and proper behavior. And
00:20:30
Speaker 7: so we can really learn a lesson from this verse
00:20:33
Speaker 7: that it's easy to be swayed by the culture around us,
00:20:38
Speaker 7: even if it doesn't reflect the values that we hold by.
00:20:42
Speaker 7: It's a warning we need to be careful that we
00:20:45
Speaker 7: adopt the positive parts of the culture in which we live,
00:20:49
Speaker 7: and be just as careful not to embrace those aspects
00:20:53
Speaker 7: of society that don't make for a godly life. The
00:20:57
Speaker 7: Chosen people as slaves in Egypt, would try hard to
00:21:01
Speaker 7: retain their distinctive identity, but it was always a challenge,
00:21:06
Speaker 7: just as it's a challenge for us today to lead
00:21:10
Speaker 7: godly lives as God's chosen people. It has always been
00:21:15
Speaker 7: a challenge to be godly from the beginning. It goes
00:21:18
Speaker 7: back to the garden, to the serpent's whisper of doubt.
00:21:22
Speaker 7: It's a story of darkness, seeking to fracture the bond
00:21:25
Speaker 7: between God and humanity. And yet, time after time again,
00:21:30
Speaker 7: God takes what was meant for evil and he turns
00:21:34
Speaker 7: it into good. Joseph's betrayal by his brothers was meant
00:21:38
Speaker 7: to destroy him, but instead it became the very thing
00:21:41
Speaker 7: that led him to the palace, to saving his people,
00:21:45
Speaker 7: to saving a nation. Again and again, and we'll see
00:21:49
Speaker 7: it again throughout the scriptures. Whenever evil appears to have
00:21:53
Speaker 7: the upper hand, God is actually working behind the scenes,
00:21:57
Speaker 7: turning every plan of the enemy into a story of redeption.
00:22:03
Speaker 7: This theme echoes through our history, both from the Bible
00:22:07
Speaker 7: all the way to today. What is meant for harm
00:22:10
Speaker 7: God uses for good, and in this we find our hope,
00:22:15
Speaker 7: our legacy, our story. In the light of Joseph's story,
00:22:20
Speaker 7: let's look at our own lives. We may not be
00:22:23
Speaker 7: governing Egypt, but we face our own challenges career setbacks,
00:22:28
Speaker 7: broken relationships, financial struggles, health battles, and in these moments,
00:22:33
Speaker 7: it's easy to feel lost, like we're wandering through a
00:22:37
Speaker 7: desert without a guide, like the darkness is going to
00:22:41
Speaker 7: like the darkness is going to overcome us. But Joseph's
00:22:45
Speaker 7: life shows us the invisible hand of God guiding us
00:22:48
Speaker 7: through even when we can't see the way forward. Joseph's
00:22:52
Speaker 7: blessings came after years of deep hurt. But Joseph's betrayal,
00:22:57
Speaker 7: his imprisonment, his loneliness, they were not there without purpose.
00:23:01
Speaker 7: He was suffering, but it was leading to something so big,
00:23:05
Speaker 7: the redemption of his family and his people. In his suffering,
00:23:10
Speaker 7: God was shaping Joseph for something greater, preparing him for
00:23:14
Speaker 7: the role that he would one day play. And now
00:23:17
Speaker 7: think about it, what does that mean for us? First,
00:23:20
Speaker 7: what I hear in the story is that our pain
00:23:23
Speaker 7: has a purpose. It's not wasted. We might not be
00:23:27
Speaker 7: the King of Egypt, we might not be the one
00:23:30
Speaker 7: to redeem the entire nation. But God does use our
00:23:34
Speaker 7: suffering to prepare us for the work that He has
00:23:37
Speaker 7: set before us. And each of us are called for
00:23:40
Speaker 7: important work in our lives. Second, in our deepest urts,
00:23:45
Speaker 7: we must hold on to God even tighter. He is
00:23:48
Speaker 7: with us, even in the suffering, even in the silence,
00:23:52
Speaker 7: working in ways that we cannot yet see. We live
00:23:56
Speaker 7: in a world that demands instant solutions and immediate gratification.
00:24:00
Speaker 7: But you know what God's timeline is, not ours. Joseph
00:24:04
Speaker 7: waited years in prison and he didn't give up hope.
00:24:09
Speaker 7: So like Joseph, let's trust in God's timing. Let's not
00:24:13
Speaker 7: try to rush what God is doing. Like Joseph, your
00:24:17
Speaker 7: story is still being written in Hashem, the master storyteller,
00:24:22
Speaker 7: isn't done with your story yet. To speak more on this,
00:24:25
Speaker 7: fatherly heavenly love is our good friend, Bishop Lanier, thank.
00:24:30
Speaker 4: You so much, Yaiel. I want to focus on really
00:24:33
Speaker 4: one theme in this conversation, shepherds and sheep. You know,
00:24:39
Speaker 4: when I was a little boy, my grandmother used to
00:24:42
Speaker 4: have sheep in her yard. Now used to love to
00:24:45
Speaker 4: watch them. We can romanticize the whole thing, and we
00:24:49
Speaker 4: know that in our Bible, then the Hebrew scriptures twenty
00:24:52
Speaker 4: third Psalm, the Lord is my shepherd, and in the
00:24:57
Speaker 4: Christian scriptures, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd, and
00:25:01
Speaker 4: my sheep hear my voice and know who I am.
00:25:04
Speaker 4: You and I are very comfortable with this conversation.
00:25:07
Speaker 2: But let me tell you who was not.
00:25:10
Speaker 4: Comfortable with this conversation. The Egyptians were not comfortable with
00:25:15
Speaker 4: the whole idea of sheep and shepherds, and Joseph is
00:25:21
Speaker 4: about to play this thing for all it's worth and
00:25:24
Speaker 4: use it as part of his advantage. Would you say
00:25:29
Speaker 4: that word advantage? You are living with an advantage. May
00:25:34
Speaker 4: not feel like it because you are a foreigner, but
00:25:39
Speaker 4: favored my God. Joseph knew that the Egyptians didn't like
00:25:44
Speaker 4: the whole concept and occupation of shepherds. Why Egyptians, sure,
00:25:49
Speaker 4: they would have live stock, but they would use them
00:25:51
Speaker 4: for the sake of wool. They didn't eat them for meat,
00:25:56
Speaker 4: but the Hebrews would eat them for food. And you
00:25:59
Speaker 4: knowlater on century later, the whole concept, the whole holiness
00:26:04
Speaker 4: and holy day of the Passover is about the lamb.
00:26:09
Speaker 4: Joseph prepares his brothers, saying to them, I'm about to
00:26:12
Speaker 4: take you in there. I'm about to introduce you to
00:26:15
Speaker 4: the Pharaoh, and I want you to walk into that
00:26:19
Speaker 4: space with a sheep point of reference. That's right, a
00:26:25
Speaker 4: sheep point of reference. I want you to think sheep.
00:26:29
Speaker 4: When he asked you a question, I want you to
00:26:32
Speaker 4: answer bah. I want every part of your being to
00:26:36
Speaker 4: say to that man that you are a shepherd. You
00:26:39
Speaker 4: are offensive, you are discussed well in chapter forty seven,
00:26:44
Speaker 4: he says Joseph took five of his brothers to the
00:26:47
Speaker 4: Pharaoh and showing that Pharaoh said what do you boys
00:26:50
Speaker 4: do for a living? What's your job? What's your occupation?
00:26:54
Speaker 4: And in three ways they drill this thing. Number One,
00:26:57
Speaker 4: they say, we are shepherds. I mean no blending with
00:27:02
Speaker 4: this occupation or sometimes we like to want no, no, no, no,
00:27:06
Speaker 4: we are shepherds. Okay. Second thing, our ancestors were for shepherds.
00:27:15
Speaker 4: In other words, we come from a long line of
00:27:18
Speaker 4: disgusting people generations.
00:27:21
Speaker 2: And then the third thing. Listen to this.
00:27:23
Speaker 4: They're talking to the pharaoh. The whole reason, mister Pharaoh,
00:27:27
Speaker 4: we are in Egypt is so we could bring our
00:27:31
Speaker 4: sheep into your country. There's a famine out there. We
00:27:36
Speaker 4: can't feed him. We're shepherds, We got dying sheep. And
00:27:39
Speaker 4: the whole reason we're standing here is so we can
00:27:42
Speaker 4: bring our sheep into your Wow. They're letting this Pharaoah
00:27:48
Speaker 4: know that every part of their DNA is committed to
00:27:53
Speaker 4: shepherds and to sheep. Why because they've learned from Joseph
00:27:57
Speaker 4: that because of Egypt's for shepherds and shepherding, they're.
00:28:03
Speaker 2: Going to be separated.
00:28:05
Speaker 4: Pharaoh was gonna put them on another side of the nation,
00:28:09
Speaker 4: and sure enough, in verse five, Pharaoh demands they be
00:28:13
Speaker 4: placed in absolutely the best property in a different land,
00:28:19
Speaker 4: but the best property. Listen, others will mark what God
00:28:26
Speaker 4: has marked on you. They don't get it, they don't perceive,
00:28:32
Speaker 4: discern understand the strange, peculiarness of who you are. But
00:28:37
Speaker 4: it's the Lord who does this in your life. You
00:28:40
Speaker 4: are foreign but favored. And then he says, I'm I'm
00:28:45
Speaker 4: gonna let you even take care of my live stock
00:28:48
Speaker 4: here in Egypt. Now as that familiar, you remember when
00:28:52
Speaker 4: Joseph was placed in part of his house. He's a prisoner,
00:28:56
Speaker 4: but part of her discerns there's a blessing upon Joseph's life,
00:28:59
Speaker 4: and he says, I'm taking my entire household, Joseph, and
00:29:03
Speaker 4: placing it under your authority. And when Joseph goes to
00:29:07
Speaker 4: the dungeon, when he goes to prison, the God is
00:29:10
Speaker 4: discerning enough to know there's an anointing upon Joseph's life
00:29:14
Speaker 4: and says, I'm taking responsibilities and putting them in your hands.
00:29:19
Speaker 4: Verse eleven says, in that best region and country, Joseph
00:29:24
Speaker 4: is able to provide food for his father, for the
00:29:28
Speaker 4: father's sons, their entire families, right down to the youngest.
00:29:34
Speaker 4: Then Joseph starts moving in his mastery of providing for
00:29:41
Speaker 4: his master. WHOA, let me say that again. Joseph shows
00:29:47
Speaker 4: his mastery, moves in his mastery of providing for his master.
00:29:56
Speaker 4: He finds the most brilliant ways of keeping the monarchy,
00:30:00
Speaker 4: if you will, strong and the people fed. Folk would
00:30:06
Speaker 4: come to him hungry and say, hey, we got no food.
00:30:09
Speaker 4: Let us give you money and you sell us food.
00:30:13
Speaker 4: At worked till they ran out of money, and they
00:30:16
Speaker 4: ran out of food. Then they returned and they said,
00:30:19
Speaker 4: we have no money and we have no food, but
00:30:22
Speaker 4: we have live stock. But what good is the live stock.
00:30:24
Speaker 4: Let us give you our live stock in exchange for food. Okay,
00:30:30
Speaker 4: that worked until that ran out. Then they returned and said,
00:30:33
Speaker 4: we have no money and we have no live stock,
00:30:36
Speaker 4: but we have land and we have our lives, and
00:30:41
Speaker 4: we'll exchange them for food. The people are provided for
00:30:47
Speaker 4: and the pharaoh is prospered. And then Joseph comes up
00:30:51
Speaker 4: with this brilliant idea and says, we're going to give
00:30:54
Speaker 4: you seed that you can now begin a new conversation
00:31:00
Speaker 4: with creation. But this is what's going to happen. Harvests
00:31:04
Speaker 4: are going to rise. But when they do as they do,
00:31:09
Speaker 4: you're going to bring a double tithe unto the Pharaoh.
00:31:15
Speaker 4: You're going to bring him twenty percent of your provision,
00:31:19
Speaker 4: your prosperity. Wow, this is amazing. All of it sounds
00:31:24
Speaker 4: so good, so productive, so positive, and so prosperous. The
00:31:30
Speaker 4: blessing of God is upon them in this strange place.
00:31:37
Speaker 4: But Jacob knows doesn't matter. Still ain't my home? And
00:31:42
Speaker 4: he says to his son and requires him, son, don't
00:31:47
Speaker 4: you bury me in this Egypt? When I sleep with
00:31:51
Speaker 4: my father? I want you to take my body back
00:31:56
Speaker 4: home and plant me in our Israel.
00:32:03
Speaker 2: Wanted to go.
00:32:06
Speaker 5: To Israel.
00:32:17
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
00:32:20
Speaker 1: ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
00:32:24
Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made
00:32:28
Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
00:32:33
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive
00:32:37
Speaker 1: producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by
00:32:40
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
00:32:45
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
00:32:51
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
00:32:54
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
00:32:58
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
00:33:04
Speaker 1: Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
00:33:08
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
00:33:11
Speaker 1: com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on
00:33:14
Speaker 1: the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you
00:33:17
Speaker 1: enjoyed The Chosen People with Yeile Eckstein, please rate and
00:33:20
Speaker 1: leave a review,
Related Episodes
Moses in Midian
# 67 - Moses in Midian - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Moses finds refuge in the land of Midian, where an act of kindness changes his life forever. In this episode, we explore themes of exile, identity, and the unexpected ways God provides purpose in the wilderness. Episo...
Moses the Murderer
# 66 - Moses the Murderer - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, we explore his defining act of passion, its consequences, and the lessons it holds for navigating faith and purpose in complex times. Episode 66 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Ex...
Child of the Nile
# 65 - Child of the Nile - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, a mother's faith and courage set her son adrift on the Nile, trusting God to protect him. Discover the miraculous journey of Moses, the child drawn from the waters, and how God’s providence turns vulnerability...
