February 3, 2025 • 18 mins
In this Bible Story, Jacob favors his youngest son Joseph, bringing contempt to his brothers. Joseph is given a coat of many colors by his father and the brothers sell Joseph into slavery, lying to their father about his death. This story is inspired by Genesis 37 & 39:20. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Genesis 37:5 from the King James Version.
Episode 25: Israel and his family moved to the land of Canaan, where they were prospering and enjoying life. While there, Jacob showered his youngest son Joseph with love, showing him to be his favorite by giving him an extraordinary coat with many colors. This caused his brothers to hate him, and when he started having dreams of his brothers and parents bowing down to him, his brothers became even angrier. In their rage, they threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery, concocting a lie to tell their father about Joseph’s death.
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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard
Producer: Ben Gammon
Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham
Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to
his brothers, and they hated him yet the more Genesis
thirty seven five, Heavenly Father, as I greet this new day,
I thank you, Lord that I'm growing in blessing and influence.
Like Joseph. I thank you for uncommon favor with every
(00:22):
one I come in contact with, Like his coat of
many colors, I thank you that my unique giftings can
be seen by all around me. And when others around
me plot against my future and try to derail the
dreams You've given me, I will refuse to become a
slave to their bitterness and envy. I will not allow
(00:45):
fear to make me forget my future. I will not
abandon my position of power, for I know that he
who began a good work is faithful to complete it.
I decree and declare that my dreams are still alive,
and that they will come to pass in Jesus' name. Amen,
(01:13):
thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story,
brought to you by Bible in a year dot Com.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The Dreams of Joseph. Before this story, we learned how
Jacob's daughter Dinah was assaulted, raped, and then taken as
a wife by Sheikham. Out of vengeance, Simon and Levy
killed every man in the small city and pillaged all
they had. Jacob fled back to Bethel and settled there
(01:55):
with his family, and God reassured Jacob of his promise.
Now we will learn about how Jacob, now called Israel,
favored his youngest son, Joseph. Joseph's favor from his father
would bring contempt from his brothers inspired by the Book
of Genesis.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham of today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. Previously, we heard that Jacob
had once again abdicated the role of leadership to which
God had called him, and as a result, there was
a great deal of bloodshed, pain, and trouble that spread
throughout Jacob's family. Eventually, Jacob woke up to the tragedies
(02:39):
and schemes his disobedience created and turned to God for
help and guidance. God, in his love and grace, once
again proved faithful to Jacob and his family, and things
seemed headed in the right direction. But today we will
see a familiar monster rear its head favoritism. We are
(03:00):
about to see how God's plans endure inspite failings and
jealousy and resentment, pain and hurt. Listen to today's story.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Jacob, now called Israel, lived in the land promised by
God to Abraham, in the land of Canaan. He dwelt
with his family, increasing in influence and blessings. The land
was ripe with green fields and fresh soil. Flocks thrived
and grew in number, and the sons of Israel all
(03:35):
worked for their father and began raising families of their own. Joseph,
who was the youngest brother at seventeen years old, often
pastured the flock with his brothers. It was not rare
for Joseph to bring reports back to his father about
anything his brothers did wrong, for he was Israel's favorite
(03:56):
and he knew it. Israel loved Joseph deeply, not just
because he was the youngest, but he was also the
son of Rachel, who could not have children before him.
One day, Israel adorned Joseph with an immaculate robe. It
flowed and glistened in the sun. Its colors beamed with
(04:17):
regality and clearly represented where Joseph stood among the rest
of his eleven brothers. It was evident to his brothers
how much their father loved him. More so they hated
Joseph for it. It was nearly impossible for them to
speak to him without contempt in their voices. One evening,
(04:37):
Joseph tossed and turned in the night from a vivid dream.
Joseph awoke and immediately went to tell his brothers about
what he had seen. Hear my dream, he asked, While
they were getting ready to work the fields. We were
all binding sheaves of wheat in the field, and all
of the sudden, my sheaf rose and stood upright. Your
(04:59):
sheaves all gathered around mine and bowed to it. Joseph
recounted his dream to his brothers, and they all stared
at him. Irket, so are you to reign and rule
over us? They asked with disdain. They hated him for
his dreams. Joseph one day would learn how to explain
dreams with less pride, but for now he reveled in
(05:22):
the idea of his brothers bowing to him. The next night,
he dreamed another dream, just as vivid as the one before. Again,
he spoke to his brothers in the morning behold, the sun,
and the moon and eleven stars were all bowing down
to me. He told them. This time it was not
(05:43):
only his brothers, but his mother and father as well
that bowed to him. This annoyed his brothers as well
as Israel. Israel rebuked Joseph and said, what kind of
dreams have you been having? Shall we all fall on
the ground before you? Though Israel was cross, he pondered
(06:03):
what his son's dreams may have meant. The other brothers, however,
were jealous and teemed with anger more and more every day.
One day, his brothers went to pasture their father's flocks
near the valley of Shekom. Israel decided to send Joseph
to help and bring word of how they were doing.
Joseph left Hebron and came to Shekom, but could not
(06:27):
find his brothers anywhere. Joseph found a man wandering the
fields and asked if he had seen his brothers with
the flocks. They have gone away. I heard them say
they would go to Dothan, the man replied. So Joseph
set out to find his brothers at Dothan. As Joseph
(06:47):
descended down into Dothan, his brothers saw him from afar.
Here comes the dreamer. One of them said, we should
kill him and throw him into one of these pits.
We will see what comes of his dreams when he
is devoured by a beast. Another said. They laughed, but Reuben,
(07:08):
the oldest, was not liking where the conversation was headed.
Ruben did not want his brother dead, but he also
feared the backlash if he defended Joseph. Let's not take
his life, Ruben said, Shedding blood is too messy. Instead,
we should just throw him in this pit here and
let him rot. Ruben suggested this so he could come
(07:31):
by later to rescue Joseph. Joseph finally arrived and greeted
his brothers. He was met with piercing glares. They had
looked at him with disdain before, but this time it
was different. Their eyes portrayed an ancient evil that had
lurked in the hearts of men since the beginning. All
eleven brothers looked at him with the eyes of Cain.
(07:55):
Before Joseph could process what was happening, he found himself
trapped under the arms of his older brothers. Strong and
calloused from tilling the fields and harvesting grain year after year.
Their hands clutched his colorful robe and tore it off
his body. A fury of chuckles and blows blurred Joseph's vision.
(08:16):
He was caught in a mob of anger and hate.
Covering his head and face from the fists of his brothers,
Joseph could fairly look up until he found himself in
the air, descending into a deep pit. Blooneo. All the
air in Joseph's lungs fled as his back hit the cold,
damp ground. Lying face up, he slowly opened his eyes
(08:40):
only to see the mocking stairs of his brothers looking
down on him. Joseph lay there helpless for hours, it
seemed like days. The only water in the pit fell
from Joseph's eyes. Afraid and alone, Joseph wept. Later that day,
as they sat down to eat, the brothers saw a
(09:02):
caravan of ishmaelite merchants heading to Egypt to sell their
goods and slaves. Judah saw them from Afar and then
turned towards his brothers and said, what does it profit
us to kill our brother? The only thing we gain
is having to clean up his blood. Why don't we
sell him to the Ishmaelites. He is our brother after all.
(09:26):
The brothers listened intently. Joseph awoke still in the darkness.
He had huddled into the corner of the pit to
block himself from the piercing sun. Silhouetted from the base
of the pit, Joseph saw a rope fall towards him. Finally,
his brothers had ceased their cruel joke and rescued him.
(09:48):
Joseph climbed out of the pit, looked towards his brothers,
and was immediately tackled to the floor, shackled, and taken
away towards Egypt. With the sun beginning to set behind him,
Joseph turned his head towards Canaan. Joseph's dreams seemed to
be more fantasy now than they ever had been. His
(10:10):
heart was tortured by the rejection of his brothers. Joseph,
Israel's prized son, was now a slave. Reuben, who had
left while everything had transpired, finally returned to the pit
to free Joseph. He looked down and saw that Joseph
was gone. Reuben, frantic and concerned for Joseph, tore his
(10:33):
clothes and raced to his other brothers. He's gone, Reuben shouted.
Ruben's weak attempt at bravery failed. It was him who
would have to tell his father what happened. The brothers
took Joseph's robe, the only remaining trace of him. They
slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph's robe in the blood.
(10:54):
With fake sobs and worried eyes, they went to their
father with the robe, heads held low and perfect theatrics.
They said, we have found this. Is this your son's robe? Israel,
with tears welling up in his eyes, said it is
my son's robe. A fierce animal must have devoured him.
(11:18):
He tore his clothes and mourned for weeks. His sons
and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused.
I shall take my grief down to shield. There is
no returning from this. The approval the brothers once craved
would not be given just because Joseph was gone. More
(11:40):
now than ever, their father was distant. Meanwhile, in the
hot Egyptian son Joseph stood heat beating down on his face,
back torn apart from whips, and a spirit broken by
his brothers, Joseph was put on display to be sold.
The midnight then sold him to potiphar an officer to Pharaoh,
(12:04):
the captain of the guard. There, Joseph's story would start
to begin.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
As we open today's story. Jacob has finally arrived in
the land of his father in Canaan and settled with
his family. But before he arrived, his beloved wife Rachel
had given him one more son, Benjamin. Rachel, however, died
during childbirth. Jacob has left with two sons to remind
(12:34):
him of his late wife, whom he loves so deeply,
And it's the oldest of these two, the young man
named Joseph, on whom Jacob centers his love. Joseph was
Jacob's clear favorite, and everyone knew it. Joseph's older brothers
resent him for Jacob's attitude toward him. Joseph only makes
matters worse when he returns from the fields to tattle
(12:56):
on them to Jacob. It's salt in an open wound.
Jacob either doesn't notice the division or his family it
doesn't bother to get involved, Just as when Leah and
Rachel battle for his love, Jacob does nothing to bring
peace to his home. In fact, he throws fuel on
the fire by making a brightly beautifully colored coat to
(13:17):
give to Joseph. Now, certainly there's nothing wrong with giving gifts,
even some extravagant ones at times, to your children. God,
our father, loves to lavish us with blessings and favor,
but he does so without showing favoritism. Not so with Jacob.
He has a clear choice as his favorite, and his sons.
(13:37):
His other sons are so very resentful of Joseph, so
the stage is already set for strife. Then Joseph begins
to have dreams, very strange dreams that he interprets as
for telling his position of authority over his family. What
he says is true, but it's not said with wisdom
(13:59):
or or even humility. It is a special gift from God,
this ability to interpret dreams. It's a gift God will
use for greater purposes one day. But Joseph is still
a prideful young man of seventeen years of age, and
rather than seeking God's wisdom as to how to process
these dreams and share them with others, he tells his
(14:21):
brothers openly, pridefully about them. They were understandably incensed at
their younger brother, who was telling them that they would
one day bow before him one day, Joseph goes out
to find them in the fields, and with murder in
their hearts, they scheme to kill him and leave his
body in a pit. His oldest brother, Reuben doesn't want bloodshed,
(14:45):
but he lacks the courage to stand up to violence.
He proposes that they throw him in a pit and
leave him there. He plans to return and rescue him later,
but he never gets the chance. When Joseph arrives, his
brother sees him remove his cloak, the prize gift, the
beautiful coat that Jacob had given him, and they threw
him into a dry pit. His future is thrown into
(15:08):
uncertainty as he lies in the pit helpless. How can
his dreams come true if he's down there in this pit?
Or what if he dies? Imagine the chaos, the confusion,
the fear of the pain this young man must have felt.
Did he realize that though his brothers were the ones
perpetrating this evil, his actions and attitudes had a part
(15:30):
in this. While Reuben is away, the other spot a
caravan of Ishmaelites who are descendants of their great grandfather's
son with Sarah servant Hagar, and they decide to sell
him as a slave, and Joseph is carried away into Egypt.
All may seem to be lost at this point, but
as Joseph will one day say, what they meant for evil,
(15:54):
God will use for good. God may allow evil to
come our way, But when we trust Him and seek him,
as Joseph will do in the coming years, we discover
that God is good, that he does good, and He
is always working together all things for good. The worst
out of the most terrible circumstances he can bring the
(16:16):
best and great blessings as well. The brothers go home
and hand Jacob the blood stained tunic of Joseph, the
blood of an animal that they have slain to cover
up their transgression. Jacob is heartbroken. It will be years
before he sees his son Joseph again. But first Joseph
must endure great pain as a slave and then a
(16:37):
prisoner in the land of Egypt, the land of the Pharaoh.
But that's a story for another time. So let's pray.
Dear God help us to learn from today's scripture that
favoritism can have tragic and long lasting effects on our families.
Give us the strength and the wisdom to get rid
(16:58):
of favoritism in our own lives and in our families.
Lord God, thank you also that even in the darkest moments,
even when we are in the deepest pit, that you
are with us, and that you can work all things
together for our good and your glory. It is in
the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. Thank you
(17:18):
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download thepray dot com
app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love.
By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in
someone's life. And if you want more resources on how
to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be
(17:42):
sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless This
episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare solution
for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to
his brothers, and they hated him yet the more Genesis
thirty seven five, Heavenly Father, as I greet this new day,
I thank you, Lord that I'm growing in blessing and influence.
Like Joseph. I thank you for uncommon favor with every
(00:22):
one I come in contact with, Like his coat of
many colors, I thank you that my unique giftings can
be seen by all around me. And when others around
me plot against my future and try to derail the
dreams You've given me, I will refuse to become a
slave to their bitterness and envy. I will not allow
(00:45):
fear to make me forget my future. I will not
abandon my position of power, for I know that he
who began a good work is faithful to complete it.
I decree and declare that my dreams are still alive,
and that they will come to pass in Jesus' name. Amen,
(01:13):
thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story,
brought to you by Bible in a year dot Com.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The Dreams of Joseph. Before this story, we learned how
Jacob's daughter Dinah was assaulted, raped, and then taken as
a wife by Sheikham. Out of vengeance, Simon and Levy
killed every man in the small city and pillaged all
they had. Jacob fled back to Bethel and settled there
(01:55):
with his family, and God reassured Jacob of his promise.
Now we will learn about how Jacob, now called Israel,
favored his youngest son, Joseph. Joseph's favor from his father
would bring contempt from his brothers inspired by the Book
of Genesis.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham of today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. Previously, we heard that Jacob
had once again abdicated the role of leadership to which
God had called him, and as a result, there was
a great deal of bloodshed, pain, and trouble that spread
throughout Jacob's family. Eventually, Jacob woke up to the tragedies
(02:39):
and schemes his disobedience created and turned to God for
help and guidance. God, in his love and grace, once
again proved faithful to Jacob and his family, and things
seemed headed in the right direction. But today we will
see a familiar monster rear its head favoritism. We are
(03:00):
about to see how God's plans endure inspite failings and
jealousy and resentment, pain and hurt. Listen to today's story.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Jacob, now called Israel, lived in the land promised by
God to Abraham, in the land of Canaan. He dwelt
with his family, increasing in influence and blessings. The land
was ripe with green fields and fresh soil. Flocks thrived
and grew in number, and the sons of Israel all
(03:35):
worked for their father and began raising families of their own. Joseph,
who was the youngest brother at seventeen years old, often
pastured the flock with his brothers. It was not rare
for Joseph to bring reports back to his father about
anything his brothers did wrong, for he was Israel's favorite
(03:56):
and he knew it. Israel loved Joseph deeply, not just
because he was the youngest, but he was also the
son of Rachel, who could not have children before him.
One day, Israel adorned Joseph with an immaculate robe. It
flowed and glistened in the sun. Its colors beamed with
(04:17):
regality and clearly represented where Joseph stood among the rest
of his eleven brothers. It was evident to his brothers
how much their father loved him. More so they hated
Joseph for it. It was nearly impossible for them to
speak to him without contempt in their voices. One evening,
(04:37):
Joseph tossed and turned in the night from a vivid dream.
Joseph awoke and immediately went to tell his brothers about
what he had seen. Hear my dream, he asked, While
they were getting ready to work the fields. We were
all binding sheaves of wheat in the field, and all
of the sudden, my sheaf rose and stood upright. Your
(04:59):
sheaves all gathered around mine and bowed to it. Joseph
recounted his dream to his brothers, and they all stared
at him. Irket, so are you to reign and rule
over us? They asked with disdain. They hated him for
his dreams. Joseph one day would learn how to explain
dreams with less pride, but for now he reveled in
(05:22):
the idea of his brothers bowing to him. The next night,
he dreamed another dream, just as vivid as the one before. Again,
he spoke to his brothers in the morning behold, the sun,
and the moon and eleven stars were all bowing down
to me. He told them. This time it was not
(05:43):
only his brothers, but his mother and father as well
that bowed to him. This annoyed his brothers as well
as Israel. Israel rebuked Joseph and said, what kind of
dreams have you been having? Shall we all fall on
the ground before you? Though Israel was cross, he pondered
(06:03):
what his son's dreams may have meant. The other brothers, however,
were jealous and teemed with anger more and more every day.
One day, his brothers went to pasture their father's flocks
near the valley of Shekom. Israel decided to send Joseph
to help and bring word of how they were doing.
Joseph left Hebron and came to Shekom, but could not
(06:27):
find his brothers anywhere. Joseph found a man wandering the
fields and asked if he had seen his brothers with
the flocks. They have gone away. I heard them say
they would go to Dothan, the man replied. So Joseph
set out to find his brothers at Dothan. As Joseph
(06:47):
descended down into Dothan, his brothers saw him from afar.
Here comes the dreamer. One of them said, we should
kill him and throw him into one of these pits.
We will see what comes of his dreams when he
is devoured by a beast. Another said. They laughed, but Reuben,
(07:08):
the oldest, was not liking where the conversation was headed.
Ruben did not want his brother dead, but he also
feared the backlash if he defended Joseph. Let's not take
his life, Ruben said, Shedding blood is too messy. Instead,
we should just throw him in this pit here and
let him rot. Ruben suggested this so he could come
(07:31):
by later to rescue Joseph. Joseph finally arrived and greeted
his brothers. He was met with piercing glares. They had
looked at him with disdain before, but this time it
was different. Their eyes portrayed an ancient evil that had
lurked in the hearts of men since the beginning. All
eleven brothers looked at him with the eyes of Cain.
(07:55):
Before Joseph could process what was happening, he found himself
trapped under the arms of his older brothers. Strong and
calloused from tilling the fields and harvesting grain year after year.
Their hands clutched his colorful robe and tore it off
his body. A fury of chuckles and blows blurred Joseph's vision.
(08:16):
He was caught in a mob of anger and hate.
Covering his head and face from the fists of his brothers,
Joseph could fairly look up until he found himself in
the air, descending into a deep pit. Blooneo. All the
air in Joseph's lungs fled as his back hit the cold,
damp ground. Lying face up, he slowly opened his eyes
(08:40):
only to see the mocking stairs of his brothers looking
down on him. Joseph lay there helpless for hours, it
seemed like days. The only water in the pit fell
from Joseph's eyes. Afraid and alone, Joseph wept. Later that day,
as they sat down to eat, the brothers saw a
(09:02):
caravan of ishmaelite merchants heading to Egypt to sell their
goods and slaves. Judah saw them from Afar and then
turned towards his brothers and said, what does it profit
us to kill our brother? The only thing we gain
is having to clean up his blood. Why don't we
sell him to the Ishmaelites. He is our brother after all.
(09:26):
The brothers listened intently. Joseph awoke still in the darkness.
He had huddled into the corner of the pit to
block himself from the piercing sun. Silhouetted from the base
of the pit, Joseph saw a rope fall towards him. Finally,
his brothers had ceased their cruel joke and rescued him.
(09:48):
Joseph climbed out of the pit, looked towards his brothers,
and was immediately tackled to the floor, shackled, and taken
away towards Egypt. With the sun beginning to set behind him,
Joseph turned his head towards Canaan. Joseph's dreams seemed to
be more fantasy now than they ever had been. His
(10:10):
heart was tortured by the rejection of his brothers. Joseph,
Israel's prized son, was now a slave. Reuben, who had
left while everything had transpired, finally returned to the pit
to free Joseph. He looked down and saw that Joseph
was gone. Reuben, frantic and concerned for Joseph, tore his
(10:33):
clothes and raced to his other brothers. He's gone, Reuben shouted.
Ruben's weak attempt at bravery failed. It was him who
would have to tell his father what happened. The brothers
took Joseph's robe, the only remaining trace of him. They
slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph's robe in the blood.
(10:54):
With fake sobs and worried eyes, they went to their
father with the robe, heads held low and perfect theatrics.
They said, we have found this. Is this your son's robe? Israel,
with tears welling up in his eyes, said it is
my son's robe. A fierce animal must have devoured him.
(11:18):
He tore his clothes and mourned for weeks. His sons
and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused.
I shall take my grief down to shield. There is
no returning from this. The approval the brothers once craved
would not be given just because Joseph was gone. More
(11:40):
now than ever, their father was distant. Meanwhile, in the
hot Egyptian son Joseph stood heat beating down on his face,
back torn apart from whips, and a spirit broken by
his brothers, Joseph was put on display to be sold.
The midnight then sold him to potiphar an officer to Pharaoh,
(12:04):
the captain of the guard. There, Joseph's story would start
to begin.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
As we open today's story. Jacob has finally arrived in
the land of his father in Canaan and settled with
his family. But before he arrived, his beloved wife Rachel
had given him one more son, Benjamin. Rachel, however, died
during childbirth. Jacob has left with two sons to remind
(12:34):
him of his late wife, whom he loves so deeply,
And it's the oldest of these two, the young man
named Joseph, on whom Jacob centers his love. Joseph was
Jacob's clear favorite, and everyone knew it. Joseph's older brothers
resent him for Jacob's attitude toward him. Joseph only makes
matters worse when he returns from the fields to tattle
(12:56):
on them to Jacob. It's salt in an open wound.
Jacob either doesn't notice the division or his family it
doesn't bother to get involved, Just as when Leah and
Rachel battle for his love, Jacob does nothing to bring
peace to his home. In fact, he throws fuel on
the fire by making a brightly beautifully colored coat to
(13:17):
give to Joseph. Now, certainly there's nothing wrong with giving gifts,
even some extravagant ones at times, to your children. God,
our father, loves to lavish us with blessings and favor,
but he does so without showing favoritism. Not so with Jacob.
He has a clear choice as his favorite, and his sons.
(13:37):
His other sons are so very resentful of Joseph, so
the stage is already set for strife. Then Joseph begins
to have dreams, very strange dreams that he interprets as
for telling his position of authority over his family. What
he says is true, but it's not said with wisdom
(13:59):
or or even humility. It is a special gift from God,
this ability to interpret dreams. It's a gift God will
use for greater purposes one day. But Joseph is still
a prideful young man of seventeen years of age, and
rather than seeking God's wisdom as to how to process
these dreams and share them with others, he tells his
(14:21):
brothers openly, pridefully about them. They were understandably incensed at
their younger brother, who was telling them that they would
one day bow before him one day, Joseph goes out
to find them in the fields, and with murder in
their hearts, they scheme to kill him and leave his
body in a pit. His oldest brother, Reuben doesn't want bloodshed,
(14:45):
but he lacks the courage to stand up to violence.
He proposes that they throw him in a pit and
leave him there. He plans to return and rescue him later,
but he never gets the chance. When Joseph arrives, his
brother sees him remove his cloak, the prize gift, the
beautiful coat that Jacob had given him, and they threw
him into a dry pit. His future is thrown into
(15:08):
uncertainty as he lies in the pit helpless. How can
his dreams come true if he's down there in this pit?
Or what if he dies? Imagine the chaos, the confusion,
the fear of the pain this young man must have felt.
Did he realize that though his brothers were the ones
perpetrating this evil, his actions and attitudes had a part
(15:30):
in this. While Reuben is away, the other spot a
caravan of Ishmaelites who are descendants of their great grandfather's
son with Sarah servant Hagar, and they decide to sell
him as a slave, and Joseph is carried away into Egypt.
All may seem to be lost at this point, but
as Joseph will one day say, what they meant for evil,
(15:54):
God will use for good. God may allow evil to
come our way, But when we trust Him and seek him,
as Joseph will do in the coming years, we discover
that God is good, that he does good, and He
is always working together all things for good. The worst
out of the most terrible circumstances he can bring the
(16:16):
best and great blessings as well. The brothers go home
and hand Jacob the blood stained tunic of Joseph, the
blood of an animal that they have slain to cover
up their transgression. Jacob is heartbroken. It will be years
before he sees his son Joseph again. But first Joseph
must endure great pain as a slave and then a
(16:37):
prisoner in the land of Egypt, the land of the Pharaoh.
But that's a story for another time. So let's pray.
Dear God help us to learn from today's scripture that
favoritism can have tragic and long lasting effects on our families.
Give us the strength and the wisdom to get rid
(16:58):
of favoritism in our own lives and in our families.
Lord God, thank you also that even in the darkest moments,
even when we are in the deepest pit, that you
are with us, and that you can work all things
together for our good and your glory. It is in
the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. Thank you
(17:18):
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download thepray dot com
app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love.
By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in
someone's life. And if you want more resources on how
to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be
(17:42):
sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless This
episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare solution
for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.
Host
Jack Graham
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