# 52 - Joseph: The Interpreter - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Joseph, the dreamer turned interpreter, reveals God's wisdom in the depths of Pharaoh's prison. Discover how divine purpose transforms dreams into a path toward redemption and hope, even in the darkest places.
Episode 52 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 Ecclesiastes 5:7, “Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.”
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Show Notes:
(01:52) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:18) Joseph: The Interpreter - Cinematic Retelling
(20:03) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
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Speaker 2: He attacked me. This Hebrew slave lured me into sleep
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Speaker 2: with me, but I screamed quick.
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Speaker 3: He went that way.
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Speaker 4: So this is how you repay my kindness.
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Speaker 5: You are my master and my friend. Have I not
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Speaker 5: earned your trust by now?
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Speaker 3: I tell you I've done nothing wrong.
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Speaker 5: It's a lie.
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Speaker 3: Please, you must believe me.
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Speaker 4: You will rot in prison for the rest of your
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Speaker 4: Day's Hebrew take him away.
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Speaker 1: In an instant, Joseph was taken up by the guards
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Speaker 1: and thrown into the royal prison, where Pharaoh's prisoners were confide.
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Speaker 4: I am your warden. You are my prisoner.
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Speaker 6: You are nothing but the prisoner. Are we cleare.
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Speaker 5: Fever?
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Speaker 3: Would shall be favor as towards did.
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Speaker 1: The other prisoners began to rely on Joseph to speak
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Speaker 1: with the warden on their behalf. At night, underneath the moonlight,
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Speaker 1: the prisoners would gather around Joseph to listen to his
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Speaker 1: stories about the God of his ancestors.
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Speaker 6: Joseph, I am putting you in charge of these men.
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Speaker 6: I have other prisons in the city that I must
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Speaker 6: get in too, so I leave these only your care.
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Speaker 6: The warden slid two items across the desk, keys to
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Speaker 6: the cells, and a whip with iron tipped phrase. Joseph
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Speaker 6: took the keys, bowing his head in acknowledgment, but left
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Speaker 6: the whip behind. As he returned to his cell, a
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Speaker 6: sense of purpose welled within him. He might be a prisoner,
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Speaker 6: but here in this dark place.
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Speaker 1: He would shine a light.
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Speaker 2: In the dead of night. Even in the depths of
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Speaker 2: a prison, dreams with secrets only the.
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Speaker 3: Chosen can decipher.
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Speaker 2: Sdoh, my friends, from here in the Holy Land, I'm
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Speaker 2: y l Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
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Speaker 2: and welcome to the Chosen people. What does it mean
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Speaker 2: to dream? Images and visions dance through our minds? Often
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Speaker 2: elusive and enigmatic? Are these dreams just whispers from our
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Speaker 2: subconscious or they divine messages waiting for an interpreter. Now
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Speaker 2: imagine a prison, not just any prison, but a place
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Speaker 2: where the innocent are confined alongside the guilty. Yet even
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Speaker 2: here in the shadowy corners, dreams stir and seek meaning. Joseph,
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Speaker 2: the dreamer who once saw the stars and the sheaves,
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Speaker 2: becomes Joseph the interpreter mysteries. It's a transformation. This story
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Speaker 2: inspired by Genesis forty invites us to stopping consider I
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Speaker 2: break through the darkest cells of our lives. Does God
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Speaker 2: speak in dreams even when our waking world falls apart?
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Speaker 2: And perhaps most crucially, do we have the courage to
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Speaker 2: believe in His plan when all else seems lost?
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Speaker 1: Two years past, Joseph, now twenty seven years old, had
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Speaker 1: solidified himself as the benevolent leader over the other prisoners.
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Speaker 1: His willingness to serve them and listen to their needs
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Speaker 1: engendered loyalty from them. He created a system for sharing
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Speaker 1: cells based on the background of the prisoners. He was
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Speaker 1: able to rush food well enough so they could enjoy
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Speaker 1: three meals a day. He would also care for the
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Speaker 1: sick himself and use the warden's office as an infirmary
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Speaker 1: for people who were sick. Even the guards were loyal
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Speaker 1: to Joseph and did all that he asked of them.
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Speaker 1: Joseph was often reminded of how his brothers would tend
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Speaker 1: to the flocks. The sheep needed to know they were
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Speaker 1: cared for. If they felt safe, secure, and loved, they listened.
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Speaker 1: Her bitter, sweet smile curled on Joseph's lips as he
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Speaker 1: recalled home. Not all memories of his brothers were tainted.
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Speaker 1: There had been moments of bliss, pockets of what could
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Speaker 1: have been before the coat and before the pit. Pleasant memories, however,
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Speaker 1: quickly gave way to Judah's glaring face. Joseph shook himself
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Speaker 1: free of the past and returned to the task at hand.
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Speaker 1: It was late, and Joseph moved among the prisoners like
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Speaker 1: a shepherd among his flock, offering words of comfort and
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Speaker 1: acts of kindness. With each passing moment he deepened his
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Speaker 1: understanding of God's heart. He handed a blanket to an
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Speaker 1: older prisoner, his eyes warm with compassion.
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Speaker 3: God, bless you beg.
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Speaker 7: I heard you shivering last night and brought you another blanket.
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Speaker 8: There, old blanket's despair.
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Speaker 4: Where is this one come from?
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Speaker 5: Just take it, old man.
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Speaker 7: Your teeth chattering kept me up all night.
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Speaker 8: Oh, oh, a warm heart, young Joseph, Thank you, thank you.
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Speaker 1: Joseph wrapped the blanket around the old man and helped
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Speaker 1: him lie on the wooden cot. He scanned the room
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Speaker 1: once more, ensuring all was in order, before returning to
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Speaker 1: his small, damp corner. He leaned his back against the
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Speaker 1: jagged stone, no longer feeling its sharpness, His scars had
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Speaker 1: left his body calloused near numb. Joseph would often lie
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Speaker 1: awake at night, watching the moonbeams trickle through the ceiling.
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Speaker 1: In those silent moments, he prayed, considering God's goodness, his
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Speaker 1: favor upon him, and dreaming of the future. He chuckled
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Speaker 1: to himself, realizing that this pit had become his palace.
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Speaker 1: Joseph awoke to the shout. It was coming from the
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Speaker 1: entrance of the prison. It was a familiar sound. Most
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Speaker 1: men who came through the doors claimed innocence. Joseph had
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Speaker 1: learned to treat all men the same, for Pharaoh's word
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Speaker 1: was final. He rose, stretching his aching muscles. Pain was
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Speaker 1: a constant companion in the prison, and Joseph had learned
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Speaker 1: to coexist with it. Joseph was released from the communal
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Speaker 1: cell to greet the new inmates. The palace guards had
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Speaker 1: dragged two men in what were your crimes? Joseph had
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Speaker 1: learned not to be too friendly. Immediately he would be
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Speaker 1: perceived as weak and malleable. However, every prisoner would soon
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Speaker 1: learn about Joseph's compassion and kindness. Nothing Joseph looked down
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Speaker 1: at him. He was a portly man, balding and read
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Speaker 1: with rage.
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Speaker 4: I am faras royal baker, responsible for all the bake
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Speaker 4: goods within the palace. Pharaoh's men got sick after the banquet,
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Speaker 4: and he accused us of poisoning them.
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Speaker 7: And what about you?
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Speaker 1: Joseph turned to the slender, slight man beside him, whose
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Speaker 1: mouse like face wore a frightened stare.
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Speaker 3: I am, who was a Pharaoh's cup bearer. I was
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Speaker 3: also held responsible for the incident, although I would never
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Speaker 3: do anything to harm in the morning star. My family
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Speaker 3: has served the great pharaohs for five generations.
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Speaker 7: Every man here claims innocence, but we're here and live
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Speaker 7: as guilty men. Nonetheless, I please, and petitions mean nothing.
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Speaker 7: What matters is how you live out your days here. Contribute,
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Speaker 7: don't cause harm to others, and live peaceably with the gods.
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Speaker 7: If you do these things, you regain a sliver of joy. Understood.
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Speaker 3: Huh, yes, sir, The guards will take you to our
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Speaker 3: common area.
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Speaker 1: As the men walked off, the palace, guard gave Joseph
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Speaker 1: the details on both of them.
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Speaker 3: The tall and quiet one is Pharaoh's cupbearer. He was
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Speaker 3: a trusted confidante of Pharaoh.
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Speaker 4: Until the feast.
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Speaker 8: It's not clear what his motive.
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Speaker 5: Would be to pause anyone.
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Speaker 3: The loud and short one is the palace blaker.
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Speaker 4: Many of the men believed that.
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Speaker 1: He really did poison the food. Joseph nodded and noted them. Afterwards,
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Speaker 1: he gave them both tasks to do within the prison.
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Speaker 1: That night, Joseph knelt below the moonlight and prayed for
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Speaker 1: continual favor. He prayed for patience, endurance, and strength. Despite
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Speaker 1: his success in prison, the toll on his mind and
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Speaker 1: soul was heavy. Fights broke out often, and caring for
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Speaker 1: the sick was burdensome. Yet God's strength was upon him,
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Speaker 1: preparing him for something greater, refining him in the depths
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Speaker 1: of this dark grave. The skies shifted and the night
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Speaker 1: drew on. Joseph heard a stirring in the back of
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Speaker 1: the cell. The baker was tossing and turning, yelling in
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Speaker 1: his sleep a nightmare. Joseph approached and knelt beside him,
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Speaker 1: placing a hand on his shoulder and singing a lulla
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Speaker 1: by his mother once sang to him. The melody echoed
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Speaker 1: off the prison wars, a soothing balm. The baker calmed,
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Speaker 1: opening his eyes with a gruff sigh.
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Speaker 5: That's better.
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Speaker 4: What a h you a warden or some sort of
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Speaker 4: prison your.
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Speaker 3: Nick ah neither.
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Speaker 7: I'm a fellow prisoner, but I oversee the prison for the.
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Speaker 4: Warden hough a king of wretches and wrats.
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Speaker 7: Yes, I suppose you're right.
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Speaker 4: What were you before all of this?
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Speaker 5: Many things?
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Speaker 7: A favorite son, a slave, a keeper of Partipher's house.
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Speaker 7: Now well, here I am ruling this kingdom of stone
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Speaker 7: and mass.
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Speaker 4: Many lives. What someone saw you?
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Speaker 5: It certainly feels that way.
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Speaker 1: The baker rolled over and groaned. His large body weighed
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Speaker 1: heavily down on the jagged stone beneath him. He winced
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Speaker 1: with every move, then grumpily sighed.
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Speaker 4: Good good night. I hate your majesty.
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Speaker 1: The next morning, Joseph overheard the baker and the cupbearer
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Speaker 1: exchanging dreams over their meal. Joseph had done his best
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Speaker 1: to avoid such babbling, since the last time he spoke
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Speaker 1: of his dreams it got him sold into slavery. However,
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Speaker 1: he could not quite shake a feeling of longing to engage.
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Speaker 1: Joseph pretended not to listen and poured water into a basin.
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Speaker 1: He heard the baker recount his nightmare.
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Speaker 4: It was horrifying and painful. I can still see it
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Speaker 4: in my mind's eye, in the baskets, all of you.
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Speaker 3: It all sounded dreadful. I never thought I would sleep
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Speaker 3: in this place, but then I had the most magnificent dream.
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Speaker 3: I can't get it out of my head.
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Speaker 1: Joseph felt a tug on his heart to approach them.
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Speaker 1: Although he said nothing at first, it was clear that
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Speaker 1: their dreams, although different, were nagging at them. Each wore
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Speaker 1: a long face of agitated confusion. Joseph knew the torture
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Speaker 1: that came with a dream. He still woke from his
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Speaker 1: sleep suspended in stars or risen above wheat bushels, as
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Speaker 1: if compelled by a force other than him.
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Speaker 7: Joseph spoke, are you well, Baker, You were tossing all
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Speaker 7: night even after we.
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Speaker 4: Spoke, Yes, and embarrassing as it was to be sung
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Speaker 4: that to sleep like a suckling child. They must admit
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Speaker 4: your presence helped. I mean, I had a dreadful nightmare
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Speaker 4: and know it's important, but I don't know what it means.
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Speaker 3: I also had to dream. It's been nagging me all morning.
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Speaker 5: Tell me your dreams.
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Speaker 7: Perhaps I can interpret it for you.
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Speaker 4: Ha, So now you are a sorcerer and master of divination.
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Speaker 4: And tell me, your majesty, what haven't you've done in
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Speaker 4: your humorously short life.
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Speaker 7: No, no, however, I have lived long enough to meet
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Speaker 7: the God of my forefathers.
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Speaker 1: All dreams belong to him. Perhaps he will interpret for you.
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Speaker 1: The cupbearer cleared his throat. He began his tail, stammering
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Speaker 1: at first, but gaining momentum with his words. Joseph was
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Speaker 1: stricken by the way he used his hands to add
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Speaker 1: to his tail.
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Speaker 3: I was in a desolate place. The ground beneath me
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Speaker 3: was cracked and barren, and darkness pressed him from every side.
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Speaker 3: But as I walked, something miraculous happened. A vine sprang
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Speaker 3: forth out of nowhere. It was green and shimmering and
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Speaker 3: vibrant against the earth, alive, hoole sing, moving towards me.
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Speaker 3: Three branches grew from the vine. They assis stretched out
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Speaker 3: as if reaching for me, wrapping themselves around me like
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Speaker 3: a gentle engrace. Their movements were very delicate, almost wolba, weightless,
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Speaker 3: like butterflies flitting in the air.
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Speaker 9: And then there were ber blossoms, tiny fragile, breath taking blossoms.
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Speaker 9: Every bloom gave way to clusters of grapes full and
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Speaker 9: ripe and seemed ready to burst, each one heavy with juice,
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Speaker 9: shivering like liquid juice in my hand. Suddenly Pharaoh's cup appeared,
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Speaker 9: not just any cock cup, but his cup. It felt
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Speaker 9: very familiar, like it had always belonged to me, like
00:14:24
Speaker 9: it was a part of me. Without thinking, I reached
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Speaker 9: for the grapes, I plucked a cluster.
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Speaker 3: And I squeezed, and the juice it came out. It
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Speaker 3: just kept coming and coming, filling the chalice, overflowing wine.
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Speaker 9: It sparkled with a sort of brilliance I can't even descry.
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Speaker 3: And then I saw, I saw him, Pharaoh, seated on
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Speaker 3: his throne high above me, and the sun blazed behind
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Speaker 3: him like a halo of light. I bowed low, to trembling,
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Speaker 3: and I offered him the cup, and he took it
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Speaker 3: and he drank it, and then he smiled. There was
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Speaker 3: this moment of pure joy, so vivid, so full, and
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Speaker 3: then I woke up.
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Speaker 1: Joseph's heart came alive in that moment. As the cup
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Speaker 1: bearer shared his dream, he could feel the spirit of
00:15:32
Speaker 1: God moving within his heart and mind.
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Speaker 7: I can see on your face that you love Pharaoh, Yes, sir,
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Speaker 7: here is what your dream means. The three branches of
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Speaker 7: the vine represent three days. In three days time, Pharaoh
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Speaker 7: will realize that you have been falsely accused.
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Speaker 5: He will lift up his head and restore you to
00:15:51
Speaker 5: your position. You will be filling his cup once again.
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Speaker 3: What a beautiful sentiment, if only it were to true.
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Speaker 1: Joseph placed his hand on the cupbearer's shoulder and looked
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Speaker 1: intently into his eyes.
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Speaker 5: My friend, these things will come to pass. God has
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Speaker 5: declared it. When you're free, I ask, will you please
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Speaker 5: remember me, remember what you've seen here and mention it
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Speaker 5: to Pharaoh. Recall my kindness towards you, and tell him
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Speaker 5: of my gift.
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Speaker 3: What have you done to be here? Are you innocent?
00:16:29
Speaker 3: Are you who this is supposed to be here?
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Speaker 1: Joseph leaned back and looked up at the sun rays
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Speaker 1: peeking through the ceiling.
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Speaker 7: I am a Hebrew sold into slavery by my brothers.
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Speaker 7: Yet even as a slave I thrived. I'm not here
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Speaker 7: for my own sins, but because of the sins of others.
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Speaker 7: Although I am in this world, I do not belong
00:16:51
Speaker 7: to this world.
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Speaker 3: If what you say is to the true Hebrew, I
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Speaker 3: will remember you when I am restored to Pharaoh.
00:16:58
Speaker 1: The baker pushed the farah aside and.
00:17:01
Speaker 4: Laughed, Ah, so you're a bearer of good news. Well,
00:17:05
Speaker 4: then let me tell you my dread, and hopefully you
00:17:08
Speaker 4: will have news of my freedom as well.
00:17:10
Speaker 5: Come on, this is my dream.
00:17:13
Speaker 4: I was on my way to Phero with three baskets
00:17:16
Speaker 4: of bread on my head. It was hot, and the
00:17:19
Speaker 4: wind was even hotter. I made a wonderful cakes, sweet breads,
00:17:24
Speaker 4: and all kinds of big goods. However, the birds swooped
00:17:28
Speaker 4: down upon me. They began pecking at the bread on top.
00:17:32
Speaker 3: Soon an entire flock.
00:17:34
Speaker 4: Was surrounding me. They petted the baskets, my clothes, and
00:17:37
Speaker 4: my eyes. I dropped the baskets and watched the birds
00:17:41
Speaker 4: devour the bread. What does this dream mean?
00:17:46
Speaker 1: Joseph's eyes betrayed his true feelings. He was overwhelmed with
00:17:50
Speaker 1: grief for the baker and unable to speak. The baker
00:17:54
Speaker 1: sent Joseph's clent and became uneasy.
00:17:57
Speaker 4: Do not hold back from me, he What does my
00:18:01
Speaker 4: dream mean?
00:18:02
Speaker 1: Joseph fiddled with a stone in his hand and looked
00:18:04
Speaker 1: up at the baker.
00:18:06
Speaker 7: Three baskets represent three days. Three day should pass you
00:18:11
Speaker 7: two would be taken out of the prison.
00:18:12
Speaker 1: The baker smiled, thinking this was good news. However, Joseph
00:18:17
Speaker 1: continued with a tear streaming down his face, phara, well, punish.
00:18:21
Speaker 5: You for what you've done.
00:18:23
Speaker 1: You separate your head from your body.
00:18:25
Speaker 7: Poppodoor pulled the birds to eat away flesh.
00:18:29
Speaker 1: The baker looked at him silently for a long while, then,
00:18:33
Speaker 1: in an outburst of rage, the baker tackled Joseph to
00:18:36
Speaker 1: the ground and began pumbling in with his fists.
00:18:40
Speaker 4: Your fool, and the nightment sad, a day sad. Take
00:18:44
Speaker 4: it back, Tell them you're lying.
00:18:49
Speaker 1: The other prisoners ran to Joseph and pulled the baker
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Speaker 1: off him. He thrashed and tugged away. Joseph looked up
00:18:56
Speaker 1: at him, panting with a bruised and bloody face. The
00:18:59
Speaker 1: Baker's shifted from fury to guilt. Joseph knew the truth,
00:19:04
Speaker 1: as did he. The baker returned to a spiteful stare,
00:19:09
Speaker 1: spat at Joseph, then scalped off. After three days, it
00:19:13
Speaker 1: was Pharaoh's birthday. He held a great banquet for his officials.
00:19:17
Speaker 1: He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and
00:19:21
Speaker 1: the chief baker in the presence of his officials. He
00:19:24
Speaker 1: restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he
00:19:27
Speaker 1: once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand. However, the
00:19:31
Speaker 1: baker was taken outside the palace. The harbish eastern wind blew,
00:19:36
Speaker 1: and the birds flew in circles above. The baker was
00:19:40
Speaker 1: given to the guards and beheaded, and his head was
00:19:44
Speaker 1: put on a pike as a feast for the birds. However,
00:19:47
Speaker 1: Joseph remained in the prison for years. He waited in
00:19:51
Speaker 1: his stone tomb to rise up. He suffered a great deal,
00:19:56
Speaker 1: but his present sufferings were not comparable to the future
00:20:00
Speaker 1: glory awaiting him.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Dreams, those ethereal whispers of the night drift in and
00:20:10
Speaker 2: out of Joseph's story. It was a dream that first
00:20:14
Speaker 2: led him into the abyss, the vision of sheaves and
00:20:17
Speaker 2: stars that stirred the envy of his brothers, casting him
00:20:21
Speaker 2: into the depths of betrayal and slavery in the shadowy
00:20:26
Speaker 2: corridors of an Egyptian prison. It seems those dreams had
00:20:31
Speaker 2: turned to dust. But then the dreams that once seemed
00:20:37
Speaker 2: like the cruel catalyst of Joseph's downfall are revealed to
00:20:41
Speaker 2: actually be the blueprint for his ascent to royalty. The
00:20:47
Speaker 2: very gift of interpreting dreams that once brought Joseph to
00:20:51
Speaker 2: the lowest places is exactly what would be what helped
00:20:56
Speaker 2: him rise. But this time the dreams weren't Joseph's own,
00:21:02
Speaker 2: like they were when he told his brothers. No, it
00:21:06
Speaker 2: was Joseph interpreting the dreams of others, the cup bearer,
00:21:11
Speaker 2: the baker, and ultimately Pharaoh himself. In interpreting the dreams
00:21:18
Speaker 2: of others, Joseph begins to see the arc of his
00:21:21
Speaker 2: own life more clearly, the hand of God moving behind
00:21:26
Speaker 2: the scenes, orchestrating events for a purpose beyond his understanding.
00:21:32
Speaker 2: And in Joseph's journey we see the fulfillment of God's
00:21:36
Speaker 2: convenant with our forefathers, a promise that no pit or
00:21:42
Speaker 2: prison can thwart. We are reminded that our struggles are
00:21:46
Speaker 2: not the end, but the beginning of God's greater narrative.
00:21:53
Speaker 2: My Abba, my father, Abbe Riel Eckstein, was an extraordinary man,
00:21:58
Speaker 2: a man whose heart reached out to hundreds of thousands.
00:22:03
Speaker 2: As his daughter, I saw up close the depth of
00:22:06
Speaker 2: his compassion. Whenever we passed a homeless person, on the street,
00:22:10
Speaker 2: he would stop. He would pause, even as the world hurried,
00:22:14
Speaker 2: by offering not just money but his ear. He sought
00:22:18
Speaker 2: to know the person's name, this person's story, this person's pain.
00:22:23
Speaker 2: And in those moments, time after time again, I witnessed transformation.
00:22:30
Speaker 2: Dejection turned to joy, and hearts were lifted by his
00:22:35
Speaker 2: genuine compassion. In today's episode of The Chosen People, we
00:22:40
Speaker 2: see the same spirit in Joseph's story. In that dark prison,
00:22:44
Speaker 2: Joseph noticed the sorrow of his fellow inmates. Why do
00:22:48
Speaker 2: you look so sad today, you would ask them, And
00:22:51
Speaker 2: then he listened. He wasn't so engulfed with his own
00:22:56
Speaker 2: pain and hardships that he didn't have space for anyone else. Rather,
00:23:00
Speaker 2: he used his hardships to be more empathetic towards the
00:23:04
Speaker 2: others who were suffering. He cared, He really cared. We
00:23:11
Speaker 2: often moved through life preoccupied with our own troubles, deaf
00:23:16
Speaker 2: to the silent cries of those around us. But Joseph's
00:23:20
Speaker 2: story teaches us a profound truth to live by. No
00:23:24
Speaker 2: matter our own struggles, we must see and respond to
00:23:28
Speaker 2: the pain of others. Never underestimate the power of a
00:23:33
Speaker 2: simple question, how are you, what's your name?
00:23:38
Speaker 3: What have you been through?
00:23:41
Speaker 2: It can save a life, and as we learn from
00:23:44
Speaker 2: the story of Joseph, it can change the world. Let's
00:23:48
Speaker 2: talk a little bit about the man whose life, Ja
00:23:52
Speaker 2: Joseph saved, Pharaoh's imprisoned cupbearer. Joseph asked the cup bearer
00:23:58
Speaker 2: to please remember him to Pharaoh and help him get
00:24:00
Speaker 2: out of jail. But the very last verse of this
00:24:03
Speaker 2: chapter tells us that this didn't happen. This is what
00:24:07
Speaker 2: it reads. Quote The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph.
00:24:12
Speaker 2: He forgot him. End quote. We've seen this in previous episodes,
00:24:17
Speaker 2: and we'll see it again. The Bible repeating itself for
00:24:20
Speaker 2: a reason. So why did the Bible repeat itself here?
00:24:25
Speaker 2: It says he did not remember Joseph, he forgot him.
00:24:30
Speaker 2: The Bible doesn't include any extra word, So we have
00:24:33
Speaker 2: to ask, why is the Bible telling us this twice?
00:24:37
Speaker 2: If the cup bear didn't remember Joseph, then of course
00:24:41
Speaker 2: he forgot him. Why does the Bible tell us the
00:24:44
Speaker 2: same thing twice. There's a beautiful teaching here from Jewish
00:24:48
Speaker 2: tradition that the Bible verse wishes to remind us that, yes,
00:24:52
Speaker 2: the cup bearer forgot Joseph, but God remembered him. We
00:24:58
Speaker 2: all depend on other people, and sometimes they come through
00:25:02
Speaker 2: for us, and sometimes they don't.
00:25:04
Speaker 8: But even when.
00:25:05
Speaker 2: Others forget us, God always remembers. God is not silent.
00:25:13
Speaker 2: He speaks in dreams, in whispers, in that still small voice.
00:25:20
Speaker 2: And that's what all of us must remember. That everything
00:25:25
Speaker 2: in our lives, even our dreams, our aspirations, our hopes,
00:25:31
Speaker 2: it comes from God. Joseph was a very self confident person,
00:25:37
Speaker 2: a gift that sometimes also proved to be a burden.
00:25:40
Speaker 2: But Joseph somehow tempered his self confidence with his deep
00:25:43
Speaker 2: trust in God. So when the cupbearer and the baker
00:25:47
Speaker 2: asked him to interpret their dreams, Joseph answered immediately quote
00:25:51
Speaker 2: do not interpretations belong to God?
00:25:54
Speaker 8: End quote.
00:25:55
Speaker 2: Joseph didn't claim the talent of dream interpretation as his own. Rather,
00:26:00
Speaker 2: he immediately mentioned God. He realized that his skill, his gift,
00:26:05
Speaker 2: was directly from God, and also it showed that he
00:26:09
Speaker 2: was faithful that God would inspire him to interpret the
00:26:12
Speaker 2: dreams correctly. He was saying, Lord, I can't do this
00:26:16
Speaker 2: on my own. You interpret the dreams and give me
00:26:19
Speaker 2: the words. Isn't it a wonderful aspiration for all of us,
00:26:25
Speaker 2: on the one hand, to have confidence in ourselves, to
00:26:28
Speaker 2: believe we can do anything, that we can rise to greatness,
00:26:31
Speaker 2: but on the other hand, to always remember to turn
00:26:35
Speaker 2: to God for guidance. My abba, my father, Rabbi Riel
00:26:40
Speaker 2: Ekstein of Blessed Memory, was an extraordinary man. He would
00:26:44
Speaker 2: find out what native language the homeless person spoke. My
00:26:49
Speaker 2: father learned a few words in every language, so he
00:26:53
Speaker 2: would be able to connect personally to the homeless people
00:26:58
Speaker 2: and the people in need. I watched as he would
00:27:01
Speaker 2: speak a few words in their language. He would give
00:27:05
Speaker 2: them a big smile. Sometimes he'd give them a hug,
00:27:08
Speaker 2: and in that instant, their dejection turned to joy, and
00:27:13
Speaker 2: their hearts were lifted by my father's genuine love and
00:27:17
Speaker 2: care and compassion. In today's episode of the Chosen People,
00:27:22
Speaker 2: that is the spirit that we see and we learn
00:27:25
Speaker 2: from in Joseph's story. In that dark prison, Joseph noticed
00:27:30
Speaker 2: the sorrow of his fellow inmates. He cared, he spoke
00:27:35
Speaker 2: to them, he offered to help in whatever way he could.
00:27:39
Speaker 2: And just like Joseph, we have to learn not to
00:27:43
Speaker 2: be silent, not to be deaf, to those cries around us.
00:27:48
Speaker 2: We have to remember from Joseph, no matter how hard
00:27:51
Speaker 2: our struggles are, we still have to hold the space
00:27:55
Speaker 2: to see and respond to the pain of others.
00:27:58
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00:28:02
Speaker 1: ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
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Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only
00:28:09
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
00:28:18
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yil Eckstein, edited by
00:28:22
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
00:28:27
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
00:28:32
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
00:28:36
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
00:28:40
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
00:28:45
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
00:28:49
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