Joseph: The Legend

# 62 - Joseph: The Legend - In this episode of The Chosen People, we experience the profound conclusion of Joseph's journey in this moving finale of Genesis. From forgiveness and redemption to the enduring promise of hope, discover how one man’s story reflects God’s sovereign plan and sets the stage for a greater future.

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Episode 62 of The Chosen People is inspired by the Book of Genesis.

Today's opening prayer is inspired by Psalm 145:3, "His greatness no one can fathom"

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on the chosen people.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Do not fear the unknown. I am your god, am
the god of your father. Do not fear going down
to Egypt, For there I will make you a great nation.
I will go before you, and I will also bring
you back up again when the time comes, and when

(00:25):
it is time for you to depart from this world,
twill be Joseph who closes your eyes.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
If I have found any favor in your sight, you
will deal kindly and honestly with me. Do not bury
me in Egypt. I don't want monuments. Ah, I don't
want a palace. My dead body's roten.

Speaker 4 (00:49):
No. No, let me lie with my fathers.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Place me in the hills beside Abraham and Isaac.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
I will see it done.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Joseph buried his face in his father's hand. It was
still warm, but only for a moment, before the coolness
of death came upon his body. Tears of agony trailed
down Joseph's face. He kissed his father on the forehead,
then called for Net in the other room.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
Net come in at once, Yes, suffit not, Pania, send
for the physicians and have them in balm. My father
spare no expense. I want him to receive the highest
honor that Egypt can give.

Speaker 5 (01:37):
It will take forty days, my lord. The embalming is
a lengthy process.

Speaker 4 (01:42):
Very well. After that is complete, the nation will weep
for seventy days of mourning, according to tradition.

Speaker 5 (01:50):
My lord, a royal procession. Do you think that's wise.
Most Egyptian nobles don't receive seventy days. Pharaoh himself recive
seventy two.

Speaker 4 (02:01):
If you knew my forefathers in the god they served,
you would not ask me such things. Go and fetch
the priests and physicians.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
The chamber was filled with the acrid scent of natron
and resins, mingling with the faint trace of incense that
clung to the air. In the heart of the temple,
under the vigilant gaze of Anubis's stone effigy lay the
body of Jacob. Joseph stood watchful and silent as the
priests of Anubis worked with methodical precision, their hands steady

(02:38):
and skilled, weaving the ancient magic of their craft. They
drained the old man's life blood, replacing it with a
concoction of sacred oils and preserving agents. Each incision, each
careful wrapping of linen was a ritual unto itself, a
dance of death and reverence that spoke to centuries of tradition.

(03:03):
The mummification process was an art demanding the balance of
scientific exactitude and spiritual devotion. The embalming took forty days,
a span during which the lamentations of the people became
a constant undertone. For Jacob had not been merely a
foreign patriarch. He had come to be respected, his presence

(03:26):
a bridge between the proud sons of Egypt and the
wandering tribes of Canaan. As the days stretched into weeks,
Egypt mourned from the sun drenched Nile to the shadowed
temples of Thebes. The people dressed in the colors of sorrow.
The mourning rites extended beyond the sacred Chamber, beyond the

(03:48):
reach of the palace. Seventy days of lamentation followed a
time decreed by Pharaoh himself, for such was the honor
shown to Joseph and his father by the river Nile.
Men and women gathered in throngs, their cries as symphony
of grief. Professional mourners led the dirges, their voices rising

(04:11):
and falling like the very breath of the gods, the
Lamb's great and humble alike joined in the solemn observance,
their faces streaked with tears and dust. During this time,
Joseph was a figure both of strength and vulnerability. He
moved through rituals with the gravity of a man bearing

(04:33):
the weight of two worlds. His brothers strode behind him,
garments black faces, as still as the tombs looming in
the back drop. As the embalmers completed their task, wrapping
Jacob in fine linen, amulets and charms nestled against the
aged skin to protect him in the after life. And

(04:54):
so with a hard bound in sorrow and duty, he
prepared for the journey back to Canaan to lay his
father to rest in the land of his forefathers. As
was promised, Joseph stepped across the marble stone steps rising

(05:16):
out of the lily pond. Beyond the pond was an
archway adorned with fragrant flowers, jasmine and marius. The household
of Pharaoh was a world within a world. The gardens
leading up to his estate were filled with exotic birds.
Antelopes adorned with spiraling horns reaching heaven, grazed along the

(05:39):
grass underneath the shadows of stone monuments fixtures of past pharaohs.
No matter how much Joseph visited, he couldn't quite get
use to its opulence. The doors always opened for Joseph.
He never needed to announce himself or his business. He
was Pharaoh's hands and feet, this scepter by which justice

(06:02):
and wisdom were enacted. The halls were thick with the
smell of roasted pine nuts and wine pressed with figs
and dates. A cup was placed in Joseph's hand, and
a small throne was brought in for him to sit
opposite Pharaoh. His entire household was present at the table.
His sons, daughters, wives, and cousins. Each had subtle disdain

(06:27):
for Joseph hidden behind their noble eyes and regal chins.
Joseph wondered what would become of his family once this
pharaoh had passed and his son took his place, but
that was a matter for another time.

Speaker 6 (06:41):
Zavarnath, Pinea, have the songs of the men ceased? How
is your family faring after your father's dead?

Speaker 4 (06:50):
The entire nation has honored me and my father. I
am very grateful, Lord Pharaoh. That is not why you've
come though is it as wise as the stars, Lord Pharaoh,
before your household. I've come with a request.

Speaker 6 (07:05):
Speak.

Speaker 4 (07:06):
If I have found favor in your eyes, please allow
me to leave the country and go into the land
of my father. He made me swear to him that
I would bury him there with his father and grandfather.
I will return swiftly after this is done.

Speaker 6 (07:23):
The last time you were in that land, you were
bound as a slave. I would think you wouldn't want
to return there.

Speaker 4 (07:31):
My father made me swear, Lord Pharaoh, I was bound
as a slave when I left. Now I am bound
to honor to return.

Speaker 6 (07:42):
Honor you are Zaphnath Panaia. Honor is bound to you,
not you to honor. But I will grant your request.
Since your father made you swear go up to Canaan.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
My gratitude is as vast as the sea of reeds.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
Pharaoh Joseph bowed and turned to leave, but before he
could exit the great halls, Pharaoh stopped him. His low,
growling voice echoed like the purs.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Of a lion.

Speaker 6 (08:12):
Zavoneth Peneia, your God has delivered this nation. That is
why I allow such grace. I have allowed processions of
mourning to fill my streets. The shores of the Nile,
a testament to my glory, were host to choirs singing
songs about your father. When you return tread.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
Lightly, Joseph dipped his head and turned. He knew what
Pharaoh meant. He had been a slave long enough to understand.
At all costs, Joseph had to ensure his family did
not pose a threat to Pharaoh. The journey from Egypt
to the land of Canaan was one of both grandeur

(08:58):
and melancholy. The convoys stretched like a river of sorrow
through the arid plains and rolling dunes. Chariots and horsemen
of Egypt accompanied them a formidable escort of warriors and servants,
their armor glinting in the sunlight. As they traveled, the
landscape shifted from the fertile banks of the Nile, teeming

(09:21):
with life and verdant fields, to the stark, austere beauty
of the desert. The sands whispered beneath their feet. Abraham
traversed this same path, up and down, in both victory
and defeat. Joseph thought about the last time he had
traversed this desert. He was bound in rope, feet scraping

(09:43):
against the jagged path below. He never thought he'd return,
Yet here he was walking the path of his great grandfather,
bringing riches to Canaan.

Speaker 7 (09:55):
Lost in your dreams again, Joseph, All miss isn't lost
on me that this journey must be.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
Hard for you.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
It is more than you'll ever know.

Speaker 7 (10:06):
I pray your forgiveness and yours, Joseph, even though our
father has passed.

Speaker 1 (10:12):
Joseph said nothing. He hopped on to one of his
chariots and darted to the front. Worries squeezed his heart
with a steel grip. With Jacob gone, would Joseph's mercy remain?
The sun beat down relentlessly, Yet the procession moved with
unwavering resolve, driven by duty and the sacred promise Joseph

(10:36):
had made to his father. Upon reaching the threshing floor
of Atta, near the Jordan, they halted. It was a
place of ancient significance, where the patriarchs had often communed
with the divine. Here the company made camp, and the
rights of mourning intensified. For seven days. The sons of

(10:58):
Jacob lamented, their voice, rising in a keening whale that
echoed through the hills. The sound was one of profound
loss and reverence, a tribute to the man who had
shaped their lives. The Canaanites, seeing the grandeur and the
depth of the morning, murmured amongst themselves. Awed by the sight,

(11:20):
they named the place able miss Raem the Mourning of Egypt,
for the display was unlike any they had witnessed. The
blending of cultures, the reverence of the Egyptians, mingled with
the ancient traditions of Jacob's descendants, created a spectacle that
would be remembered for generations. When the days of morning

(11:43):
were complete, Joseph gave the signal, and the procession moved
once more. The land of Canaan rose before them, its
hills and valleys a patchwork of history and memory. They
came to the cave of the field of Machpela, the
burial place of Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob. The cave

(12:05):
bought by Abraham from Efron the Hittite, was a place
of sacred memory, hallowed by the bones of their ancestors.

Speaker 6 (12:14):
The last time we were here, we were burying our mother.

Speaker 8 (12:18):
I still can't believe he wanted to be buried next
to her.

Speaker 1 (12:22):
With reverence. The sons of Israel lay Jacob to rest
in the tomb, placing his embalmed body beside Leah. The
air within the cave was cool and still filled with
the presence of the past. As they sealed the entrance,
a sense of finality settled upon the company. The promise

(12:44):
had been fulfilled, and the patriarch had been laid to
rest among his forbears. Joseph and his brothers lingered for
a time, offering prayers and sacrifices, their hearts heavy with
grief and gratitude. As the sun set over the land
of Canaan, casting long shadows over the tomb, they turned

(13:06):
their faces to the camp they once called home. The
ghosts of their past could be seen there, images of
them as children playing around the well and chasing sheep
through the valley. The brothers scaled down the hills and
settled there for the night. A large fire billowed in
the center. Joseph sat among his brothers but said nothing

(13:30):
all night. His eyes were fixed on the stars above.
Joseph was searching for something in them. He yearned for closure.
The sons of Israel stared at one another, worried. Creasing
upwards on their boughs, they took his silence as disdain.

Speaker 8 (13:48):
Now that Father is dead, Joseph may want to pay
us back for the evil we've done to him.

Speaker 4 (13:55):
He would be justified him killing all of us for
what we did.

Speaker 6 (14:01):
One of Father's dying wishes is that Joseph would show
us mercy.

Speaker 8 (14:05):
Maybe he won't kill us, but he could have us
thrown in prison, or leave us here in Canaan, away
from our families. At least that's what I would do
if I were him.

Speaker 7 (14:15):
Joseph is not the brute you are som.

Speaker 8 (14:18):
We don't know who he really is, Judah. He's an
Egyptian lord who knows what he's capable of.

Speaker 6 (14:25):
Now I'm too old to sit for too long wondering,
I'll ask him.

Speaker 1 (14:31):
Reuben stood to his feet and marched to Joseph. He
bent to knee with fists to the dust.

Speaker 6 (14:38):
Your father gave his wishes before he died that you
would spare us for the wrong we've committed against you.
So here I am on his behalf and mine, asking
that you would forgive the transgressions of your brothers. We

(14:58):
have done a great evil against you. Brother, We've caused
you to suffer beyond imagination. Please forgive us forgive me.
We are your servants and at your mercy.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
Joseph looked at Reuben, who was face first in the dirt,
the same dirt he had been shoved into as a child.
Joseph scanned the faces of his brothers. The fire illuminated
genuine worry on their faces. Joseph shook his head and stood.
He placed a hand on Reuben's head under the same

(15:35):
canopy of stars where Abraham once stood. Hearing the promises
of God Almighty, Joseph spoke to.

Speaker 4 (15:41):
Them, Am I God, that I would determine your fate. No, no,
do not fear.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
Joseph's tears shimmered in the firelight. He shook his head,
finally understanding what he was wanting this whole time. Being
back in Canaan, the place of his betrayal, brought forth
the rest of Joseph's sorrow and anger. It spilled out
of him in tears and fell to the dirt.

Speaker 4 (16:09):
What you did was evil, and you meant it to
be evil. There is no mistaking it. Brothers. You wanted
to harm me, you wanted me dead. But what you
meant for evil, God meant for good. He took me
away from here so I could rise and save you all.

(16:31):
Don't fear for your lives, don't worry about your children.
I will provide for you. I will protect your little ones.
As long as I breathe, I accept the role God
has given me as your redeemer.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
Years passed and the House of Joseph flourished in the
land of Egypt. The land was a tapestry of life
and prosperity, the fields rich with grain, and the rivers
teeming with fish. The shadows of time crept inexorably forward. Joseph,
once a beacon of youth and vigor, now bore the

(17:14):
marks of age. His hair, once as vibrant as the
fields of grain, had turned to silver. In the twilight
of his years, Joseph gathered his family around him, the
sons of Israel, now numerous and strong. Most of his
brothers had passed, but their children and grandchildren were vast

(17:36):
in number, multiplying every year. Their faces reflected both the
legacy of Jacob and the promise of the future. They
stood in the House of Joseph, a grand abode filled
with memories and the echoes of a life lived in
service to both Pharaoh and family. His eyes still sharp

(17:58):
with the fire of his spirit, scanned the faces of
his kin. He saw their sorrow, their unspoken fears, and
their steadfast determination. Joseph, his voice steady yet tinged with
the frailty of age, spoke to his brethren.

Speaker 4 (18:16):
I am about to die, but God will surely come
to your aid and take you up out of this
land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, swear to me that you will carry
my bones up from this place when God visits you.

(18:39):
When you return to the land promised to us, take
me with you.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
The oath was taken, the promise sealed with the weight
of generations. The House of Israel, bound by their word,
knew that this was not merely a request, but a
sacred duty, a link in the chair of their covenant
with the Almighty. Joseph's dazed dwindled, and as the shadows lengthened,

(19:07):
he looked upon the land of Egypt with a mixture
of gratitude and longing. It began as a prison, a
nation of damnation. Then it was a crucible of his destiny.
But his heart, like that of his father before him,
yearned for the land promised to his ancestors. When Joseph

(19:29):
finally breathed his last, the silence that followed was profound.
His passing was not just the end of a man,
but the closing of a chapter. The embalmers, skilled in
their ancient rites, prepared his body with the same reverence
that had been shown to Jacob. The process was intricate,

(19:50):
a blend of science and sacred tradition, ensuring that Joseph
would be preserved for the journey he had been promised.
He was placed in a coffin, an enduring symbol of
both his status and the faith that he had carried
throughout his life. The coffin stood as a silent sentinel,

(20:11):
a reminder to his descendants of the promise they had made.
The years turned into decades, the decades into centuries, The
sons of Israel multiplied, their numbers, growing vast, their strength formidable,
Yet always in the recesses of their homes and the
chambers of their hearts, the coffin of Joseph stood as

(20:34):
a testament to their heritage and their hope. They knew that,
one day, when the time was right, they would rise
and return to the land of their forefathers. Carrying with
them the bones of the man who had saved them
in their time of need. And so Joseph, though his
body lay in the land of Egypt, remained forever bound

(20:56):
to the promise of Canaan. His legacy lived on in
the hearts of his people, a beacon guiding them through
the corridors of history toward their destiny. As the twelve
sons of Jacob departed from this life and new generations

(21:16):
sprouted from their branches, so did the line of Pharaoh,
the king who once considered Joseph a brother and the
Hebrews his kin passed. His son took the throne, vaguely
remembering the promises made to Israel. But when his son
came after him, the promises eroded into whispers. Soon the

(21:40):
name of Joseph was forgotten. In its place the legacy
of Pharaohs, the image of Ra, the might of the Nile.
The storehouses were replaced with monuments to their greatness, and
the children of Israel were no longer favored in the land.

(22:01):
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(22:24):
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