# 58 - Joseph: The Merciful - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, turning betrayal into forgiveness in a powerful act of reconciliation. Explore the profound themes of grace, divine providence, and redemption as a family torn apart is united once more under God’s greater plan.
Episode 58 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
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Show Notes:
(01:44) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:12) Joseph: The Merciful - Cinematic Retelling
(23:16) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
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Speaker 2: I can't simply let them leave. The family will be
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Speaker 2: deadly for more years to come. They won't survive on
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Speaker 2: their own. They need me.
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Speaker 3: Ah, yes, sir, they need your help. But the question
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Speaker 3: you're asking is do they deserve your help?
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Speaker 1: Every cruelty, every hardship had been redeemed by God turned
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Speaker 1: into a tapestry of grace and purpose. Could the same
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Speaker 1: be true for his brothers?
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Speaker 2: Perhaps they must go through a test of their own.
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Speaker 1: It was at that moment Joseph had an idea. An
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Speaker 1: idea began to form in his mind, a way to
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Speaker 1: test their hearts and reveal their true nature.
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Speaker 2: This is my Lord's coup.
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Speaker 4: Do you not know that this is the cop he
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Speaker 4: uses for prophecy.
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Speaker 5: Perhaps you desire to steal this for his gifts.
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Speaker 6: I didn't do that.
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Speaker 4: I don't know how it got there.
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Speaker 2: Please you must.
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Speaker 4: Believe yes, no, it must be a mistake.
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Speaker 2: I am the voice that speaks for God, the deliverer
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Speaker 2: of this lad and the one who conquered the blights.
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Speaker 2: And you, Hebrews, dare steal from me.
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Speaker 1: Please believe me.
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Speaker 2: I did nothing seize the boy.
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Speaker 1: They took Benjamin and began to drag him away, but
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Speaker 1: the brothers rebelled. They were quickly beaten down by the
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Speaker 1: gods and held in place.
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Speaker 4: Take me instead.
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Speaker 1: Joseph's heart stopped beating when he heard the words fall
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Speaker 1: from Judah's lips.
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Speaker 2: What did you say.
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Speaker 7: In the face of betrayal? Joseph chose forgiveness, writing a
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Speaker 7: wonderful news story from one of brokenness. Cello, my friends,
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Speaker 7: from here in the holy Land of Israel, Amya l
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Speaker 7: Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and
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Speaker 7: welcome to the Chosen People. Each day we'll hear a
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Speaker 7: dramatic story inspired by the Bible, stories filled with timeless
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Speaker 7: lessons of faith, love, and the meaning of life. Do
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Speaker 7: me a favor and take a moment today to follow
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Speaker 7: the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend.
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Speaker 7: These steps may seem small, but in a crowded world
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Speaker 7: of podcasting, they actually make a huge impact. Thank you
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Speaker 7: so much for making this holy mission impossible. Now let's begin.
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Speaker 7: Have you ever felt the sting of betrayal by those
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Speaker 7: that you hold dear? In this episode, we journey through
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Speaker 7: Genesis forty five and feel this sting. We feel the
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Speaker 7: raw pain of a family torn apart, hearts shattered by
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Speaker 7: envy and deception. But then we also experience the miraculous
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Speaker 7: power of God's mercy. Joseph's story makes us ask ourselves,
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Speaker 7: are we capable of forgiveness when faced with past wrongs? Now,
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Speaker 7: let's explore the mystery of mercy and the bravery that
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Speaker 7: it takes to forgive.
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Speaker 2: Seize the boy.
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Speaker 1: They took Benjamin and began to drag him away, but
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Speaker 1: the brothers rebelled. They were quickly beaten down by the
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Speaker 1: guards and held in place. No Judah ran after Benjamin,
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Speaker 1: only to be struck by one of the gods. His
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Speaker 1: face hid the stone floor. He winced in pain, and
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Speaker 1: blood ran down his temple. The entire room was silent.
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Speaker 1: The other brothers had spears to their necks and watched
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Speaker 1: helplessly as Judah stood back up to his feet. He
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Speaker 1: wiped his chin and ran back towards Benjamin again. Again,
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Speaker 1: he was struck in the head and returned to the floor.
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Speaker 1: Judah lay there on the floor. Joseph did nothing. He
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Speaker 1: watched his older brother desperately try and fight for Benjamin's life.
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Speaker 1: Judah began to weep on the floor. He stood legs
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Speaker 1: quivering and face swollen.
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Speaker 4: Hats half burse his life is bound up with my
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Speaker 4: father's life.
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Speaker 2: Why is your father's life a concern of mine?
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Speaker 1: Blood dripped down Judah's head as he looked Joseph in
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Speaker 1: the eyes. Joseph noticed something profoundly different in Judah, something
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Speaker 1: he had not yet noticed. Pain, years and years of pain.
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Speaker 1: Behind Judah's eyes was the shame of his past sins.
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Speaker 1: It was he who had decided to sell Joseph into slavery.
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Speaker 1: He was the one who led the brothers against him.
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Speaker 1: Since then he had lived a life of regret and anguish.
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Speaker 1: Judah shook his head and lifted his arms to Joseph
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Speaker 1: with labored breathing. Judah begged if taken me instead. Joseph's
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Speaker 1: heart stopped beating when he heard the words fall from
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Speaker 1: Judah's lips.
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Speaker 2: What did you say?
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Speaker 4: Have me remain as a slave on Benjamin's bath, Let
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Speaker 4: me suffer so you can live.
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Speaker 2: You don't mean that I do take me.
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Speaker 4: Take my life if you must, Benjamin, whether innocent or guilty,
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Speaker 4: must return, I will. I will give my life up
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Speaker 4: as ransom PRIs.
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Speaker 1: Judah fell to his knees and crawled to Joseph's feet,
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Speaker 1: with his arms stretched outward, he gave himself up to
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Speaker 1: suffer so the one he loved could live. He would
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Speaker 1: take on the bondage so his brother could be free.
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Speaker 1: It was in that moment that Joseph knew in his
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Speaker 1: heart that Judah and the rest of his brothers had
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Speaker 1: truly changed. The heart of God had reached them. Judah's
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Speaker 1: sacrifice pierced through Joseph's hardened heart. The damn of his
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Speaker 1: emotions broke, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He raised
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Speaker 1: his voice, trembling with raw emotion.
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Speaker 8: Leave us.
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Speaker 1: The guards lowered their spears and departed, followed by the servants.
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Speaker 1: Even Asanath and their two sons retreated into their chambers,
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Speaker 1: Joseph stepped forward, his arms open, tears flowing freely.
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Speaker 2: You won't be a slave, Judah.
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Speaker 1: Joseph's voice cracked with emotion. He slowly raised his hand
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Speaker 1: and removed his head dress, letting his brown curls fall
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Speaker 1: across his forehead. He knelt before Judah, who kept his
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Speaker 1: head bowed in shame. For a long moment, they remained
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Speaker 1: there in the silence, the weight of years pressing down
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Speaker 1: upon them.
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Speaker 2: Look at me brother.
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Speaker 1: Judah's eyes, filled with pain and confusion, surged Joseph's face.
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Speaker 1: The realization dawned slowly, like the breaking of a new day.
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Speaker 2: Who are is you? You know who I am?
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Speaker 5: Joseph?
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Speaker 2: Oh no, it can I am your brother, Joseph.
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Speaker 1: The brothers gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief. They saw
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Speaker 1: Joseph's familiar amber eyes and brown curls. They heard his voice,
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Speaker 1: speaking in their native tongue. The realization struck them like
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Speaker 1: a thunderbolt. Before them stood their long lost brother, the
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Speaker 1: one they had betrayed and abandoned. Judah's bloodied face trembled
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Speaker 1: at the sight of him.
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Speaker 8: Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.
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Speaker 2: Yes, Judah, Yes, Judah, it's me. It's me. Is my
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Speaker 2: father still alive?
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Speaker 6: Is he well?
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Speaker 2: How are the flocks? How are your children?
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Speaker 1: The brothers were stunned into silence. The breath had been
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Speaker 1: stolen from their lungs. They backed away in fear, as
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Speaker 1: if seeing a ghost. To them, Joseph had been dead
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Speaker 1: for years, yet here he stood, resurrected from the grave
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Speaker 1: they had buried him in.
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Speaker 2: Don't be afraid, you can come near me.
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Speaker 1: The brothers inched closer. Their heads bowed with regret. Seeing
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Speaker 1: Joseph's face filled them with a mixture of joy and shame.
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Speaker 1: The brother they had once sold in to slavery was
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Speaker 1: now the second most powerful man in the known world.
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Speaker 1: Yet he knelt before them as an equal, tears in
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Speaker 1: his eyes, joy in his voice.
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Speaker 8: Look at me, Judah, Oh.
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Speaker 2: Look at me. Look at everything you see around you.
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Speaker 2: Egypt is saved from famine because of what God has done.
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Speaker 2: Do not hold your heads low in shame because you
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Speaker 2: sold me here. God send me here to preserve life.
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Speaker 2: He knew that one day a famine would endanger the land,
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Speaker 2: and one of us would have to prepare the way
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Speaker 2: to deliverance.
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Speaker 1: Judah's shame melted under the warmth of Joseph's mercy. Slowly
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Speaker 1: he embraced his brother, tears mingling with the blood on
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Speaker 1: his face.
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Speaker 2: I guess we ended up bowing to you after all.
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Speaker 2: You see, that's it. You didn't send me here, brothers,
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Speaker 2: it was God all along. He has made me lord
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Speaker 2: of all Egypt.
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Speaker 1: Reuben, standing a few feet away, was stoic and still,
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Speaker 1: his head low and his countenance weary. Joseph approached him,
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Speaker 1: placing his hands on Reuben's shoulders, my eldest brother.
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Speaker 2: For years you are my only ally. I knew you
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Speaker 2: felt that you had failed me. But take heart, for
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Speaker 2: God has redeemed everything.
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Speaker 1: Reuben crumbled into Joseph's arms, the weight of his regret lifting.
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Speaker 1: He had carried the burden of failing to protect his brother,
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Speaker 1: but now he felt the healing touch of God's grace.
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Speaker 1: Joseph raised his voice to his brother's.
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Speaker 2: I am here for a reason. Brothers, this famine will
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Speaker 2: continue to blight the land and strip it of all life.
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Speaker 2: There is no survival outside the border of Egypt. Come here,
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Speaker 2: stay with me, and I will protect you. Go now
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Speaker 2: to father and tell him his son Joseph is alive.
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Speaker 2: Tell him to bring everyone here so we might begin anew.
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Speaker 3: How long will this famine last, Joseph, Have you not
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Speaker 3: given us enough grain to wait out the worst of it?
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Speaker 2: This famine will go on for another five years. It
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Speaker 2: will only get worse. Please come under my wing and
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Speaker 2: allow me to redeem you from harm. I will provide
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Speaker 2: all that you need for your families. Bring your flocks
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Speaker 2: and herds, Bring your children and their children together, we
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Speaker 2: shall prosper in this land.
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Speaker 4: My brother, is here, So we choose the path of Abraham.
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Speaker 4: We flee to Egypt and away from the land God
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Speaker 4: promised us.
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Speaker 2: For a time. Yes, then when we have recovered, we
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Speaker 2: will return all of us.
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Speaker 1: The brothers agreed, making plans to return home and deliver
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Speaker 1: the news to their father. They were in awe of
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Speaker 1: Joseph's wisdom and favor with God. He was not the
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Speaker 1: arrogant child they had once hated. The hardships he had
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Speaker 1: endured had softened his heart and sharpened his character. Before
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Speaker 1: them stood a leader worth Following that night, they spoke
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Speaker 1: as brothers. They laughed and shared stories. The sons of
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Speaker 1: Israel were united again under the bond of love and
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Speaker 1: a shared vision for the future.
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Speaker 6: What was it like being a slave here?
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Speaker 2: I would lay awake good night dreaming about Canaan. I
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Speaker 2: closed my eyes and thought about the rolling hills and
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Speaker 2: green pastures. I thought about the stream that flowed beside
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Speaker 2: the fields of grain. I would often try and remember
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Speaker 2: the sound of father's laughter beside the fire, and the
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Speaker 2: smell of mother's hair.
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Speaker 7: Then they meet you, a ruler.
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Speaker 2: I worked hard, diligently, and God gave me favor In
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Speaker 2: all I did. I became the steward over the captain's household.
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Speaker 2: First that I found myself in prison for over five
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Speaker 2: years for crime I didn't commit. It was in that
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Speaker 2: place where God truly showed me what dreams are really for.
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Speaker 1: Joseph felt himself growing more aware of God's faithfulness in
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Speaker 1: his life. He closed his eyes and leaned against Benjamin.
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Speaker 1: Joseph recounted his life from slavery up until that point
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Speaker 1: in great detail to his brothers. They were enthralled by
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Speaker 1: his story. They were finally able to see how God
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Speaker 1: had used the imperfect and wicked intentions of his brothers
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Speaker 1: to accomplish something great. Simeon grinned and chuckled. The rest
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Speaker 1: of the group wondered at what was so amusing.
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Speaker 3: We hated you for your dreams, Joseph. We couldn't stand
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Speaker 3: this of bowing to you. We knew that you were special,
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Speaker 3: and we hated that you knew you were special too.
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Speaker 3: Yet here we are, and the entire world is bowing
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Speaker 3: down to you. God had chosen you from the very beginning.
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Speaker 1: The other brothers nodded in agreement. Their hatred of him
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Speaker 1: was fueled by ancient and prevailing sins jealousy, favoritism, and pride.
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Speaker 1: Joseph's arrogance, coupled with Jacob's favoritism made for a perfect
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Speaker 1: storm of spite and backbiting. However, Joseph now stood before
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Speaker 1: them as a humble king, an honest ruler. He was
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Speaker 1: a man worthy of praise and admiration, and they were
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Speaker 1: proud to call him their brother and king. They spoke
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Speaker 1: into the night, sharing their stories and reconnecting. Joseph's children
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Speaker 1: met their uncles, and he listened earnestly as each others
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Speaker 1: spoke of their families. He had missed so much, the
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Speaker 1: birth of nephews and nieces, the death of his mother,
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Speaker 1: and watching his father grow old. Yet as they talked,
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Speaker 1: Joseph felt as though he was regaining the years that
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Speaker 1: had been stolen from him. The hardened part of his
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Speaker 1: heart began to soften. Though surrounded by the splendors of
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Speaker 1: a palace, he had always felt imprisoned, but now he
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Speaker 1: dwelled in the palace of forgiveness. It was growing late,
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Speaker 1: and Joseph was keenly aware that Pharaoh would have to
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Speaker 1: be notified of everything that had transpired. Joseph gathered his
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Speaker 1: brothers once again, in the morning.
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Speaker 2: I will speak to Pharaoh on your behalf. I will
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Speaker 2: secure a place for you here in Egypt. Once I do,
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Speaker 2: you can leave and go get farther. Do you think
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Speaker 2: he'll survive the journey?
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Speaker 4: Knowing you'll get to see you will age him back
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Speaker 4: ten years, I'm sure of it.
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Speaker 1: That night, Joseph sank into his bed and slept. It
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Speaker 1: was asleep unlike any other. He was free from the
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Speaker 1: burdens of his past and finally able to rest. The
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Speaker 1: next morning, Joseph entered the courts of Pharaoh. The gentle
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Speaker 1: rays of dawn stretched over the palace, painting the tiled
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Speaker 1: steps in brilliant colors. Joseph was always a welcomed guest,
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Speaker 1: greeted with the highest honor. Dancers swayed in the halls
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Speaker 1: to elegant music, and an array of food was laid
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Speaker 1: out for him and Pharaoh to dine together.
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Speaker 9: Zephoneth Peneia, to what do I owe the honor of
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Speaker 9: your presence?
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh gestured for Joseph to sit at a table in
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Speaker 1: the courtyard just outside the throne room. Dried fruits, nuts,
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Speaker 1: and cheeses were arrayed for the two of them to
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Speaker 1: dine together, Joseph reclined and took a bite from a
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Speaker 1: dried fig. Pharaoh sat regally at the other.
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Speaker 9: End of the table, sal What are these matters of
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Speaker 9: family you wish to speak of? Is something wrong with Asinath?
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Speaker 2: No, my King, my wife and children are well, as
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Speaker 2: you know. I am a Hebrew. I was brought here
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Speaker 2: as a slave from Canaan. My brothers have come here
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Speaker 2: on behalf of my father to purchase grain from us.
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Speaker 2: I desire for them to take refuge here in Egypt.
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Speaker 9: You would request this for men who sold you into slavery. Yes,
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Speaker 9: my lord Zephyrnevna, your ways have always been somewhat mysterious
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Speaker 9: to me, and I rarely questioned them. But to let
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Speaker 9: your betrayers into your home seems unwise. Surely you don't
00:17:58
Speaker 9: owe them anything.
00:18:00
Speaker 2: I suppose this entire country owes them something, my king,
00:18:04
Speaker 2: for if I had not been sold to be a
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Speaker 2: slave in Potiphar's house, we would not be prepared for
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Speaker 2: a famine, and this land would have perished.
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Speaker 4: Ah.
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Speaker 9: Yes, the backward logic of your God continues to confuse
00:18:19
Speaker 9: and delight me all at once. How large is your family?
00:18:24
Speaker 2: I have eleven brothers and a sister. All of them
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Speaker 2: have children, live stock, and riches of their own. They
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Speaker 2: are farmers and tend to live stock. There are male
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Speaker 2: and female servants in my father's house, as well as
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Speaker 2: his remaining wives.
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Speaker 9: Ravanetpenea. What you're asking from me is to allow foreigners
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Speaker 9: to dwell in my land during a time of famine.
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Speaker 2: Pharaoh, if I may, my family is special. My father, grandfather,
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Speaker 2: and great grandfather were wholly set apart. We are chosen people,
00:19:01
Speaker 2: handpicked by God for blessing. Look at the blessing one
00:19:05
Speaker 2: Hebrew has brought your kingdom. Now imagine what having hundreds,
00:19:09
Speaker 2: potentially thousands would do for Egypt.
00:19:12
Speaker 1: Pharaoh leaned back in place, pleased at the notion of
00:19:16
Speaker 1: more wealth and blessing entering into his country. He had
00:19:20
Speaker 1: no reason to fear them, since they were the family
00:19:23
Speaker 1: of his most trusted ally. Pharaoh smiled and placed an almond.
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Speaker 2: In his mouth.
00:19:30
Speaker 9: Summon your brothers and give them strict orders from me,
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Speaker 9: Thus says Pharaoh, the morning and evening star of Egypt
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Speaker 9: and the image of ra Load your donkeys and go
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Speaker 9: back to the land of Canaan. Prepare you, your family
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Speaker 9: and your father to dwell here in the land of Egypt.
00:19:50
Speaker 9: I will give you the best of the land I
00:19:52
Speaker 9: can offer. You shall eat of the fat of the
00:19:55
Speaker 9: land and grow to be prosperous under my wing.
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Speaker 2: You are as kind as you are powerful, My King,
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Speaker 2: I pray your sons and grandsons inherit your wisdom and favor.
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Speaker 9: Order your servants to supply your brothers with more donkeys
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Speaker 9: and wagons. Make sure they are well equipped to travel here.
00:20:14
Speaker 1: Of course, my lord Pharaoh stood and stepped on to
00:20:18
Speaker 1: a throne held up by servants. Before departing, Pharaoh looked
00:20:23
Speaker 1: Joseph in the eyes intently before leaving.
00:20:26
Speaker 9: The best of my land will be given to your family.
00:20:30
Speaker 9: Our entire nation owes your God a great debt I intind.
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Speaker 2: To we create.
00:20:37
Speaker 1: With those words, Pharaoh departed to his daily military strategizing.
00:20:43
Speaker 1: Joseph made his way back to his brothers. They were
00:20:46
Speaker 1: anxiously awaiting word from Pharaoh. Joseph's head was held high
00:20:51
Speaker 1: and his arms were stretched open wide.
00:20:54
Speaker 2: My brothers, journey back to our father. We will supply
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Speaker 2: you with more donkeys than wagons to travel with your families,
00:21:02
Speaker 2: For Pharaoh has granted us favor.
00:21:04
Speaker 4: Will you go with us to retrieve. Father.
00:21:06
Speaker 2: No, no, do not forget. I'm still the ruler of Egypt.
00:21:11
Speaker 2: I will welcome you when you return.
00:21:13
Speaker 1: Joseph supplied each of them with additional wagons and provisions
00:21:17
Speaker 1: for the journey. He gave each of them a change
00:21:21
Speaker 1: of clothes Egyptian linen, but to Benjamin he gave five
00:21:26
Speaker 1: changes of clothes and three hundred shekels of silver. Joseph
00:21:31
Speaker 1: was determined to be the generous older brother he never had.
00:21:35
Speaker 1: Benjamin was his only full brother after all, so he
00:21:39
Speaker 1: felt a profound connection to him. As the brothers were packing,
00:21:44
Speaker 1: he could hear them bicker about how to load the
00:21:46
Speaker 1: donkeys properly.
00:21:48
Speaker 3: Asher, you donkey, brain fool, I should strap a saddle
00:21:52
Speaker 3: to you.
00:21:53
Speaker 2: Give me those Those are my packs.
00:21:55
Speaker 4: I'll vote them how I please. Both of you have
00:21:58
Speaker 4: sand between your ears? Does he give the packs to me?
00:22:02
Speaker 9: It's not as opposed to face that way, Judah, you're
00:22:05
Speaker 9: making it worse.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Joseph marched forward, ripped the packs from their hands, and
00:22:11
Speaker 1: loaded them himself. He fastened each back tightly and perfectly,
00:22:15
Speaker 1: with frustrated force. The brothers stood silently as Joseph attended
00:22:20
Speaker 1: to each animal. He looked at them and lifted a finger.
00:22:24
Speaker 2: The days of useless quarreling are over. On your way
00:22:27
Speaker 2: back to our father, do not argue over pointless things.
00:22:31
Speaker 2: I will not have bidden this enter my home. Do
00:22:34
Speaker 2: you understand?
00:22:35
Speaker 1: The brothers nodded. They were continually reminded that although Joseph
00:22:40
Speaker 1: was their younger brother, he was not their equal. He
00:22:44
Speaker 1: was zaphanarth Pania, the ruler of Egypt. Although they were
00:22:49
Speaker 1: forgiven by him, there would still be a lingering sense
00:22:52
Speaker 1: of hurt that would need to heal. Joseph smiled and
00:22:56
Speaker 1: reassured them of his good will towards them, sent them
00:23:00
Speaker 1: off with ten donkeys loaded with grain, bread and provisions
00:23:04
Speaker 1: for his father on their journey. Joseph waved them away
00:23:09
Speaker 1: and began to prepare a place for his family to return.
00:23:18
Speaker 7: Genesis forty five is electric. Joseph, once cast away in chains,
00:23:23
Speaker 7: now stands tall in Egypt, perched atop the seed of power.
00:23:28
Speaker 7: His brothers, unaware, come before him, needy and broken, the
00:23:32
Speaker 7: very same men who once sold him into slavery. Joseph
00:23:37
Speaker 7: knows exactly who they are, but they don't know who
00:23:40
Speaker 7: he is. And then, with a trembling voice, he breaks
00:23:44
Speaker 7: the silence. He says, quote Annie Joseph od avichrai, and
00:23:52
Speaker 7: in English that translates, I am Joseph, is my father
00:23:57
Speaker 7: still alive? Every time I read this, I get the chills,
00:24:03
Speaker 7: I get tears. I can see it in my mind.
00:24:08
Speaker 7: I imagine his brothers standing there, frozen, fear and guilt
00:24:13
Speaker 7: flooding their hearts. But instead of anger, Joseph weeps. He
00:24:19
Speaker 7: starts crying loudly, so loudly that all of Egypt tears it.
00:24:26
Speaker 7: Now Joseph actually weeps twice in this chapter, the first
00:24:30
Speaker 7: time when he reveals his true identity to his brothers.
00:24:35
Speaker 7: Then that Joseph weeps tears of joy. He has been
00:24:39
Speaker 7: united with his brothers after years of separation, and he
00:24:42
Speaker 7: sees the real possibility of a full reconciliation with them
00:24:46
Speaker 7: after what they had done. But some teachers from Jewish
00:24:50
Speaker 7: tradition see the second weeping, as Joseph sends his brothers
00:24:54
Speaker 7: to fetch their father and to bring the entire family
00:24:56
Speaker 7: down to live in Egypt ass of sadness. You see,
00:25:02
Speaker 7: Joseph had great trepidation about taking his family away from
00:25:06
Speaker 7: the Promised Land. He knew that ultimately that's where they belong.
00:25:11
Speaker 7: Maybe he foresees all of the trials and tribulations of
00:25:15
Speaker 7: the Chosen People throughout their millennia of exile. Maybe he
00:25:19
Speaker 7: knew that bringing his family to Egypt now was the
00:25:24
Speaker 7: beginning of a long and hard exile in Egypt. But
00:25:29
Speaker 7: both tears of joy and tears of sadness have characterized
00:25:33
Speaker 7: the Chosen People throughout our history. And I pray every day,
00:25:38
Speaker 7: and I know that you pray along with me, that
00:25:40
Speaker 7: now that we are back in our homeland where I'm
00:25:42
Speaker 7: speaking to you from right now, our tears of sadness
00:25:47
Speaker 7: will turn into tears of joy, just as the prophets foretold.
00:25:52
Speaker 7: I see this every day at the fellowship. I see
00:25:55
Speaker 7: tears of pain, of hurt, of hunger, of suffering turned
00:25:59
Speaker 7: to to tears of joy on the faces of God's children,
00:26:04
Speaker 7: who we help, who you help us help. There's nothing
00:26:08
Speaker 7: like the smile of an elderly who needed food and
00:26:13
Speaker 7: is suddenly given a food box. Joy and sorrow they
00:26:18
Speaker 7: often walk hand in hand, don't they. Every time my
00:26:21
Speaker 7: family celebrates a birthday or a biblical holy day, my
00:26:24
Speaker 7: heart aches at the absence of my Abba, my father,
00:26:27
Speaker 7: Rabbi rhile Ekstein. Yes, there is a joy, but there's
00:26:31
Speaker 7: also still a longing for what's missing. This same paradox
00:26:36
Speaker 7: is seen in today's Bible story. When Joseph and Benjamin embrace,
00:26:41
Speaker 7: they weep on each other's necks. Why does the Bible
00:26:45
Speaker 7: mention their next Well, Jewish tradition teaches that the neck
00:26:49
Speaker 7: actually represents the temple, because the temple is the connection
00:26:54
Speaker 7: between heaven and earth, just like the neck is the
00:26:56
Speaker 7: connection between our head and our body. In their embrace,
00:27:01
Speaker 7: these two brothers mourned the future destruction of the temples
00:27:05
Speaker 7: that would sever the connection between heaven and earth. You see,
00:27:10
Speaker 7: even in reunion, God's people remember our losses. Joseph's journey
00:27:17
Speaker 7: perfectly fits into this ongoing journey we are discussing each day,
00:27:21
Speaker 7: which is the journey of the Chosen People. This story
00:27:25
Speaker 7: is more than just a family drama. It's part of
00:27:28
Speaker 7: a larger pattern, one that stretches from the covenant with
00:27:32
Speaker 7: Abraham to our return to Zion. Joseph's descent into slavery
00:27:37
Speaker 7: wasn't the end. It was the beginning of something far greater,
00:27:41
Speaker 7: the birth of a nation. But Joseph's story is bittersweet
00:27:46
Speaker 7: the same way that he was enslaved, so too would
00:27:49
Speaker 7: his descendants be. For generations. In this grand narrative, we
00:27:54
Speaker 7: find cycles suffering followed by redemption, and Joseph's reunion with
00:27:59
Speaker 7: his brothers is a glimpse of the ultimate reconciliation that
00:28:03
Speaker 7: God promises us. We are his chosen people, tasked with
00:28:07
Speaker 7: bringing light to the nations. Of course, that light comes
00:28:12
Speaker 7: with trials. Of course that calling comes with hardships. It
00:28:16
Speaker 7: always has. But through it all we must remember that
00:28:19
Speaker 7: each of us plays a critical part in God's unfolding plan.
00:28:25
Speaker 7: Joseph's story reminds us God is always at work, even
00:28:30
Speaker 7: when the path is dark, even when the journey is long.
00:28:34
Speaker 7: We are not just living individual lives. We are part
00:28:37
Speaker 7: of a divine story, a story that began with Abraham
00:28:41
Speaker 7: and continues with us. So how will you play your part?
00:28:48
Speaker 7: How will you help bring healing to this world? Let's
00:28:51
Speaker 7: embrace our calling, Let's live out the promise. For more
00:28:56
Speaker 7: on this, let's hear from our good friend, Bishop Paul Lner.
00:29:01
Speaker 6: Thank you, y'all. Well, I'm going to tell you I
00:29:06
Speaker 6: almost didn't show up with this part of the conversation,
00:29:08
Speaker 6: and I know that sounds strange, but you're going to
00:29:11
Speaker 6: understand the more we talk together. This chapter, this portion
00:29:17
Speaker 6: of scripture, this part of the story is so intense,
00:29:23
Speaker 6: it's so emotional, and the hand of God is so
00:29:27
Speaker 6: present in all of it. It's going to stir you
00:29:31
Speaker 6: the way it's stirred me. I'm telling you, I've studied
00:29:35
Speaker 6: this passage for decades, but I'm convinced what God is
00:29:41
Speaker 6: speaking into my life, into your life in this time
00:29:45
Speaker 6: together is greater than any other time I've ever studied
00:29:49
Speaker 6: this story. You see, when Judah the Brother asked for
00:29:57
Speaker 6: a private audience with Joseph, and he didn't even know
00:30:04
Speaker 6: who it was he was talking to. And Judah began
00:30:09
Speaker 6: to pour out his heart and to say to Joseph, Look,
00:30:15
Speaker 6: if I don't take Benjamin home with me, I know
00:30:19
Speaker 6: the man, I know my father, it's going to kill him.
00:30:24
Speaker 5: As soon as he sees us on the horizon approaching,
00:30:28
Speaker 5: and he does not see Benjamin in the entourage.
00:30:32
Speaker 6: It's going to kill him. And when Joseph heard that
00:30:39
Speaker 6: something happened, it all changed traumatically, dramatically. Joseph began to
00:30:50
Speaker 6: have a melt down. I'm not kidding you.
00:30:54
Speaker 5: He began to erupt emotionally, and he says to his servants,
00:30:57
Speaker 5: get out, get out, leave me, leave us to all
00:31:02
Speaker 5: the Egyptians, get out of this place, Just leave me
00:31:05
Speaker 5: with these men. Unless they left. They could hear, but
00:31:10
Speaker 5: they could not see. And they could hear the white
00:31:13
Speaker 5: wailing and the crying, and the lamenting, and the grieving,
00:31:18
Speaker 5: and at times the rejoicing, and the confusion and the strangest.
00:31:23
Speaker 6: But they couldn't see it.
00:31:26
Speaker 5: And what moves me is the first thing Joseph says
00:31:30
Speaker 5: or asks, is is.
00:31:34
Speaker 6: My father life? Do you see? While Judah was talking
00:31:42
Speaker 6: to Joseph, Joseph began to realize something. Joseph began to
00:31:47
Speaker 6: realize not only had he been played, but.
00:31:51
Speaker 5: His father had been played. I wondered at times, where
00:31:56
Speaker 5: is my father in all of this? Why hasn't he
00:31:59
Speaker 5: come searching for me? And he begins to realize that
00:32:03
Speaker 5: it was all his brothers. They had betrayed him, They
00:32:07
Speaker 5: had betrayed.
00:32:10
Speaker 2: His father.
00:32:12
Speaker 5: But then the grace of God came blowing in and
00:32:18
Speaker 5: touching Joseph in the most profound way that he speaks
00:32:21
Speaker 5: these words that only he could speak by God, And
00:32:25
Speaker 5: he says to his brothers, don't blame yourself, you were wrong,
00:32:32
Speaker 5: and you wronged me. You send you send against our father,
00:32:39
Speaker 5: and you lied on me, and you lied to him,
00:32:42
Speaker 5: and you left me to die. Did I ever crossed
00:32:49
Speaker 5: your mind?
00:32:49
Speaker 6: I don't know. But this this I do know. God
00:32:56
Speaker 6: was behind all of it.
00:33:02
Speaker 5: There was a prophetic assignment to every assault in my life.
00:33:08
Speaker 5: For you see, God sent me ahead of you to
00:33:12
Speaker 5: save you.
00:33:14
Speaker 6: Now, I'm telling you this feminism, it's bad. And we've
00:33:21
Speaker 6: only been in it two years, got five more years
00:33:24
Speaker 6: to go. And without the word of the Lord through
00:33:28
Speaker 6: my life, none of you would have survived. My father
00:33:34
Speaker 6: would not have survived. Watch verse eight. You know that
00:33:40
Speaker 6: later on Moses is going to be like a son
00:33:45
Speaker 6: to Pharaoh.
00:33:46
Speaker 8: But this is different.
00:33:47
Speaker 5: Wat's this Joseph says, I've.
00:33:52
Speaker 2: Become a father to Pharaoh.
00:33:57
Speaker 5: He looks to me, he'd live, thins to me. He
00:34:01
Speaker 5: trusts me, he has intrusted everything to me.
00:34:06
Speaker 6: I am the lord of his household and ruler. And
00:34:10
Speaker 6: everything I've suffered was strategically preparing me for this moment,
00:34:16
Speaker 6: being accused, being imprisoned, being abandoned, being forgotten. In all
00:34:23
Speaker 6: of it, I'm telling you, all of it, the Lord
00:34:29
Speaker 6: was with me. And then he helps us to understand
00:34:33
Speaker 6: what it's all about. In verse seven, all of it,
00:34:35
Speaker 6: this whole story, all of the Torah descendants. In verse ten,
00:34:42
Speaker 6: he says, it's for your children and your grandchildren, and
00:34:47
Speaker 6: your flocks and your herds. You see, God has made
00:34:50
Speaker 6: you healthy, so you have the strength to accomplish what
00:34:52
Speaker 6: he's called you to do. And he's made you wealthy
00:34:55
Speaker 6: so you have the means to obey him. And then
00:34:59
Speaker 6: there's this land, this ghoshen. It's not your land. You
00:35:03
Speaker 6: have your land, but this is something the Lord is
00:35:06
Speaker 6: loaning to you for a season until it's time to leave. Now,
00:35:12
Speaker 6: I need you to go home, and I listen, this
00:35:14
Speaker 6: is the strangest listen. I need you to go home
00:35:19
Speaker 6: and to tell our father. First, tell him that I'm honored.
00:35:27
Speaker 8: Here.
00:35:28
Speaker 6: What tell him that I'm exalted? Is Joseph on a
00:35:36
Speaker 6: major ego trip. Absolutely not. What Joseph is saying is
00:35:42
Speaker 6: I need you to tell my father that the dreams
00:35:48
Speaker 6: have come.
00:35:48
Speaker 5: True, that the prophetic is manifest. Now, all those years ago,
00:35:56
Speaker 5: I tried to tell you what God was saying and
00:35:59
Speaker 5: showing me, and we're.
00:36:01
Speaker 2: Walking in it now.
00:36:03
Speaker 6: And then Pharaoh steps in, and this is huge if
00:36:07
Speaker 6: Pharaoh says, go get your family, Go get everything you
00:36:10
Speaker 6: have and bring it to this land that I will
00:36:12
Speaker 6: provide for you. You're not just going to eat in the famine.
00:36:17
Speaker 6: You're going to eat the best in the famine.
00:36:21
Speaker 8: Watch this.
00:36:24
Speaker 6: You're foreign, but you're favored.
00:36:29
Speaker 2: M Man.
00:36:32
Speaker 6: Now, this is probably the part that moves my heart
00:36:34
Speaker 6: the most. In verse twenty two, it says all the
00:36:36
Speaker 6: sons were blessed and prospered, but Benjamin received seven and
00:36:44
Speaker 6: a half pounds of silver and five sets of new clothes.
00:36:51
Speaker 6: And then, as the leaving side note, the boys are told,
00:36:54
Speaker 6: don't argue on your way home, just just get there.
00:36:58
Speaker 6: This is pivotal, paramount, prophetic, just but watch this. Jacob
00:37:07
Speaker 6: and Rachel had been robbed so much decades earlier by Laban.
00:37:17
Speaker 6: Their wedding night was stolen from them, years seemingly squandered,
00:37:24
Speaker 6: lied to light on. Rachel had longed for a child,
00:37:29
Speaker 6: denied a child, She gave birth to a child that Joseph,
00:37:36
Speaker 6: and then died giving birth to a child Benjamin. And
00:37:43
Speaker 6: now Joseph is the father to Pharaoh, and Benjamin can't
00:37:50
Speaker 6: even carry the silver and the clothes lavished upon him.
00:37:55
Speaker 6: Jacob and Rachel are vindicated. Everything is being restored to
00:38:03
Speaker 6: Rachel's son. Everything is being increased and multiplied to the
00:38:08
Speaker 6: boys Jacob, and he's using Faiah to do it. When
00:38:14
Speaker 6: the youngentourage arrived, when they all got home and started
00:38:18
Speaker 6: talking to each other and trying to explain to Jacob
00:38:22
Speaker 6: all that's happening, he finally speaks up in verse twenty eight, and.
00:38:26
Speaker 8: He says, stop just stop, stop stop talking, stop talking.
00:38:33
Speaker 8: I like care of others. Is Joseph alife? And if
00:38:40
Speaker 8: my Joseph is alive, I've got to get up. I've
00:38:45
Speaker 8: got to go to him before I die. I wonder
00:38:53
Speaker 8: you this was intense made the blessing of the Lord
00:38:58
Speaker 8: be upon the word of the Lord.
00:39:03
Speaker 7: When my husband and I named our children, each one
00:39:06
Speaker 7: received two names, one from modern Hebrew, reflecting the new Israel,
00:39:11
Speaker 7: and one from a family member anchoring them in tradition.
00:39:15
Speaker 7: Our second son, Liam Shlomo, carries a prayer for peace.
00:39:19
Speaker 7: We took Liam directly from Isaiah's words lo yedou od milchama.
00:39:25
Speaker 7: They will not train for war anymore, it says, well.
00:39:29
Speaker 7: Liam's name is made up of the first letters of
00:39:32
Speaker 7: each of those words in Hebrew and Shlomo. Of course,
00:39:36
Speaker 7: like Shalom means peace, and it's the name of two
00:39:40
Speaker 7: great grandfathers. So his name is our hope. It's our
00:39:46
Speaker 7: plea for a future without conflict. It's our prayer that
00:39:50
Speaker 7: he will see new Israel rebuilt on this concept and
00:39:54
Speaker 7: prayer of peace, but that he'll also always be connected
00:39:59
Speaker 7: to his great grandfathers Shlomo. You see names, Carrie power,
00:40:05
Speaker 7: They carry stories, just like Jacob, who became Israel. When
00:40:10
Speaker 7: Jacob heard Joseph was alive, the Bible immediately says quote
00:40:14
Speaker 7: the spirit of their father, Jacob was revived, and right
00:40:18
Speaker 7: after it says quote, Israel says, I'm convinced end quote.
00:40:25
Speaker 7: In that instant he was Jacob tired, broken, but upon
00:40:29
Speaker 7: hearing the news, he became Israel again, full of strength
00:40:33
Speaker 7: and faith. Names have the power to remind us who
00:40:36
Speaker 7: we are and who we are called to be. And
00:40:40
Speaker 7: just like Jacob's son Joseph, whose journey we have followed
00:40:43
Speaker 7: in these past several episodes, we too are called to
00:40:46
Speaker 7: embrace forgiveness. Joseph forgave his brothers not because they deserved it,
00:40:53
Speaker 7: but because he had faith that God had a bigger plan.
00:40:57
Speaker 7: Who in your life needs forgiveness. Maybe it's a family
00:41:01
Speaker 7: member or a friend, or maybe you need to forgive yourself.
00:41:07
Speaker 7: Forgiveness isn't about condoning the wrong that was done. Forgiveness
00:41:11
Speaker 7: is about releasing the burden and trusting God with the outcome.
00:41:17
Speaker 7: And like Joseph, let's try to find purpose in our pain.
00:41:22
Speaker 7: Like Joseph, ask God to reveal his purposes in your trials.
00:41:27
Speaker 7: And finally, like Joseph, let's all try to be vessels
00:41:31
Speaker 7: of God's grace in our workplaces, in our places of worship,
00:41:36
Speaker 7: in our communities, in our homes, everywhere we find ourselves.
00:41:41
Speaker 7: Let's be inspired to live in such a way that
00:41:43
Speaker 7: others see God in our words, in our actions, and
00:41:48
Speaker 7: in our lives. So let's remember Joseph and let his
00:41:54
Speaker 7: story inspire us to live out our own stories with grace, forgiveness,
00:42:01
Speaker 7: and unwavering trust in God's plan. Because our story isn't
00:42:07
Speaker 7: over yet. God is still writing it, and He's writing
00:42:12
Speaker 7: it through each of us, through me, and through you.
00:42:18
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Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
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