Great People of the Bible - 8059

[Music] you're invited to step back in time some 4,000 years to explore the ancient land of the Bible what we now call the Middle East and to meet legendary people whose stories have influenced millions of lives throughout history Reader's Digest brings you great people of the Bible you'll see how God leads Abraham to his ultimate test of faith will he sacrifice his son at the Lord's command you'll meet Abraham's son Isaac whose twin sons Esau and Jacob in a lifetime of conflict battle for their birthright and their father's blessing and you'll meet jacob's handsome and compassionate son Joseph sold as a slave into Egypt by his brothers who eventually becomes one of the most powerful men in the court of Pharaoh these are tales of intrigue full of twists and turns lies and deceptions drama and passion they are an integral part of history's most revered work of literature the Bible first the story of Abraham and Sarah will travel from the ancient babylonian city of birth which is in modern-day iraq north to the city of haram in the region we now call southern turkey and then finally south into the land of canaan today part of Israel and Lebanon this episode marks a great turning point in biblical history as God singles out one man and his family to receive his special revelation care and promises what was so special about Abraham and Sarah who were chosen to give birth not only to a great nation but also to one of the most inspirational spiritual revolutions of all time actually Abraham and Sarah were quite human and even though he questioned and from time to time challenged the will of God Abraham continued to exhibit faith gratitude and a unique loyalty to God on such a monumental scale that he deserves to be called as he is the father of us all [Music] our story begins in the city of gore in what is today Iraq here is where Abraham and Sarah spent their early years about 2000 years before the birth of Christ the concept of one God had not yet been widely accepted and they were surrounded by people who worshipped idols in his waning years Abraham's father Terah decided to move from earth to the land of Canaan so he took with him Abraham Sarah and his grandson what they first traveled northward some 500 miles to Haran today Iran is called tel l mu g'yahhhh in southeastern Turkey they settle there and that is where Terah died as the years went by Abraham and Sarah lived an ordinary pastoral life but there remained a tremendous void in their lives they were never able to have children when Abraham was 75 years old God challenged him to his first test of faith in Genesis 12:1 the Lord said to Abraham go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great Abraham left his homeland in Haran to embark on a treacherous journey of some 400 miles south to the land of Canaan his faith was strong and he did as God commanded with no maps to guide him and not knowing the languages he had to barter for provisions as he traveled through strange and sometimes hostile lands when the caravan reached Canaan God once again appeared and in Genesis 12:7 the Lord said to Abraham to your offspring I will give this land abraham continued his journey through the land of canaan to the oak of mora at Shechem and to the mountains to the east of Bethel where he built altars a tribute to his faith in God [Music] as time passed however Abraham's faith appeared to waver here he was as God had let him in a foreign land surrounded by pagans and he and Sarah still childless how was he to give this land to his offspring when he didn't have any land and he didn't have any children and to make matters even worse a severe famine swept through Canaan Abraham and Sarah could not survive if they were to remain in Canaan not waiting for any divine message Abraham took Sarah and locked and the rest of his household and went down to the more fertile land of Egypt where there was sure to be food before entering he gypped Abraham had known about the killing of husbands and the kidnapping of wives not yet ready to trust completely in God's promise to ensure his safety that evening Abraham devised a plot that may very well have saved his life Akiyama trimmed Amuro he told sare out you are a beautiful woman and when the Egyptians see you they will say this is his wife and they will kill me but they will let me tell them instead lomani doubly Babu you are my sister she big Lily just as Abraham had feared the caravan was stopped as they entered Egypt and when the officials of Pharos saw Sarah they were impressed with her beauty and took her into Pharaoh's household she was prepared for her introduction when she was presented to Pharaoh he was taken with her exotic appearance and the fact that she was a stranger in his land of course he had no idea that she was the wife of Abraham Pharaoh had been told she was unmarried and he took her for his wife what was Sarah to do she could not protest or to do so she would have endangered Abraham as time went on the pleased Pharaoh rewarded Abraham with generous gifts gifts of camels cheap oxygen slaves and donkeys [Music] but then Pharaoh and his entire household suddenly became deathly healed because of his sin with Sarah the Lord had afflicted Pharaoh and his people with great plagues even though Pharaoh had no knowledge that Sarah was improved Abraham's wife the hurt and angry Pharaoh summoned Abraham and blamed him for the plagues what is this you have done to me he cried why did you not tell me Sarah was your wife why did you say she was your sister so that I took her for my wife here is your wife then take her and be gone it was a wealthier and more prosperous Abraham who took his family and returned to the land of Canaan by then Abraham and lot who was with him owned so much cattle that their herdsmen were fighting each other for choice grazing lands in a generous gesture befitting the benevolence of a true patriarch Abraham took lot to a point overlooking the land and said let there be no strife between mano and me and between your herders and mine for we are kin rila he's not the whole land before you separate yourself from me if you take the land to the left then I will take the land to the right or if you take the right I will go to the left the young lot chose the better site the rich infertile land of Jordan described in the Bible as well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt so lot settled among the cities of the plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom and Abraham settled in Canaan in Genesis 13 14 the Lord said to Abraham raise your eyes now and look from the place where you are northward and southward and eastward and westward for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth so that if one can count the dust of the earth your offspring also can be counted rise up walk through the length and breadth of the land for I will give it to you Abraham led his household through the land of Canaan and eventually set up his tents in Monterey as he was commanded by God here Abraham built an altar to the Lord it was there that this patriarch of peace was drawn into battle in the valley of Siddim in the area near the southern end of the Dead Sea near the peninsula of a Lee Sang a mighty war was being waged the armies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were routed by their enemies the people of Sodom and Gomorrah fled to the hills while the enemy took all their goods and provisions and along with them they took Abraham's nephew luck as a prisoner one of the soldiers who had escaped came and told Abraham that law had been taken captain that night Abraham assembled the man of his house according to the Bible 318 of them and took off after the enemy Abraham's army caught up with him and under the cover of darkness they attacked the surprised enemy was routed and defeated Abraham rescued lot and brought back all the goods that had been taken for his heroism and his deeds in battle Abraham was honored and blessed by Melchizedek king of Salem early for Jews who is referred to in the Bible as a priest of God Most High and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything baru Li Lian assured me gains are happier there but when the grateful king of Sodom offered to let Abraham keep all the goods he had recovered in battle Abraham declined he took nothing he said to the king of Sodom I have sworn to the Lord God Most High maker of heaven and earth that I would not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours so that you might not say I have made Abraham rich that night the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision in Genesis 15 1 the Lord said to Abraham do not be afraid Abraham I am your shield your reward shall be very great look toward heaven and count the Stars if you are able to count them so shall your descendants be whether it was impatience or a lack of faith Sara decided to take matters into her own hands at that time Sara had an Egyptian slave girl named Hagar and Sarah decided that Abraham should take her as a concubine to produce an heir Sarah said to Abraham you see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children go into my slave girl it may be that I shall obtain children by her so after Abraham had lived ten years in the land of Canaan Sarah took Hagar her slave girl and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife [Music] and when Abraham was 86 years old Hagar bore Abraham a son they named the child Ishmael [Music] 13 years later when Abraham was 99 God once more appeared and repeated his promises to Abraham this time however he also added a ritual requirement in Genesis 17 for God said as for me this is my covenant with you you shall be the ancestor of a multitude of Nations I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you and Kings shall come from you and I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land where you are now an alien all the land of Canaan for a perpetual holy every male among you shall be circumcised when he is 8 days old and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and you any uncircumcised male shall be cut off from his people he has broken my covenant at the same time God also told Abraham he would give him a son by Sarah Abraham fell down laughing he said to himself how can a child be born to a man who has 100 years old how can Sarah who is 90 years old bear a child [Music] Abraham then pleaded that God might recognize his son Ishmael Jewish wave oh that Ishmael might live in your sight in Genesis 1719 God replied no but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son and you shall name him Isaac as for Ishmael I have heard you I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous he shall be the father of twelve princes and I will make him a great nation but my covenant I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear you at this season next year [Music] that very day Abraham with his son Ishmael and all the men of his household were circumcised [Music] [Music] sometime later as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day Abraham looked up and three men suddenly appeared in front of him Abraham ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground in the tradition of Eastern hospitality Abraham brought them water so they could wash their feet and had Sarah and his servants prepare food for the visitors Abraham set food before them and they ate they said to him where is your wife Sarah and he said there in the tent one say I will surely return to you in due season and your wife Sarah shall have a son the men then set out for Sodom and Abraham went with them to show them the way as the men turned and headed for Sodom Abraham remained and spoke to the Lord the Lord explained to Abraham that there was a great outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness and sin and he had come to judge them Abraham then fulfilled God's promised that he would be a blessing even to other nations he stood before God and questioned his decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there was even a small number of god-fearing people could not the sinners be saved suppose there are 50 righteous within the city will you then destroy the place and the Lord responded to Abraham if I find that Sodom 50 righteous in the city I will forgive the whole place for their sake then Abraham continued to bargain with God will you destroy the whole city if you find 45 righteous people God answered no Abraham persisted how about 40 how about 30 how about 20 and then perhaps remembering he was indeed arguing with your wife oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more suppose 10 are found there Abraham's argument convinced the Lord and the Lord promised Abraham for the sake of ten righteous I will not destroy it and the Lord went up from Abraham that even as the two angels arrived in Sodom Loch Abraham's nephew was sitting in the gateway he greeted them and urged them to wash and rest and feast in his home which they did but before they could lie down to rest all the men of the city young and old surrounded the house and shouted to lot where are the man who came to you tonight bring them out to us so that we may know them rod stood his ground and confronted the crowd and said I beg you my brother's do not act so wickedly look I have two daughters who have not known a man let me bring them out to you do to them as you please only do nothing to these men they have come under the shelter of my roof but the mob would have none of that stand back the year this fellow came here as an alien and he would play the judge now we will deal worse with you than with them then they pressed hard against lot and came near the door to break it down but the angels of the Lord stood before the crowd and they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of a house young and old so that they were unable to find the door then the angels of the Lord told lot the outcry against Sodom had become great before the Lord take your family out of this place for we are about to destroy when morning dawned the Angels once again urged lot saying get up take your wife and your two daughters or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city when they were outside the angel said run for your life flee to the hills and do not look back or stop anywhere in the plane if you look back you will perish then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from out of heaven and he destroyed those cities and all the plain of all their inhabitants everything that grew on the ground lock his daughters and his wife struggle to escape [Music] but Lot's wife behind them could not resist the temptation she looked back in the game a pillar of salt [Music] early the next morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord and he gazed down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the plain and all he could see was the smoke rising as it is described in the Bible like the smoke of a furnace lot escaped to the hills and lived in a cave with his two daughters [Music] worried that they would have no children the older daughter said to the younger come let us make our father drink wine and we will lie with him so that we may preserve offspring through our father so they made their father drink wine that night and the older daughter went in and lay with her father he did not know when she lay down or when she rose on the next night they also made lot drink wine and this time the younger daughter lay with her father both the daughters of lot became pregnant by their father the older bore a son named MOA who is the ancestor of the Moabites the younger bore a son named Ben ami who is the ancestor of the ammonites the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised Sarah conceived and bore abraham a son and abraham gave in the name Isaac and Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded him Abraham was 100 years old the child grew and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast on the night of the celebration when Sarah saw Abraham's son Ishmael playing with Isaac she became jealous and said to Abraham to cast out this slave woman with her son for he shall not inherit along with my son Isaac Abraham was caught between the love for his wife and the love for his son God's voice came to Abraham and told him to do as Sarah had asked it is through Isaac God said that offspring shall be named for you so Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar he sent her away along with Ishmael [Music] [Music] they wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba [Music] when the water in the skin was gone she left the boy and sat down opposite him a good way off for she had not the heart to listen to his cries and watch him die do not let me look on the death of the child she cried God heard the cries of Ishmael and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her do not be afraid for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is come lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand or I will make a great nation of him then God opened his eyes and she saw a spring of water she took some in her hand and gave Ishmael a drink Ishmael and Hagar survived their banishment today Muslims trace their ancestry to Abraham through Ishmael the pain and suffering of Ishmael and Hagar pale by comparison however to the ordeal that Abraham suffered when God challenged Abraham with his cruelest test of faith in genesis 22:2 the Lord said to Abraham take your son your only son Isaac who you loved and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you what must Abraham have felt should you obey God's command to slaughter his son he dutifully saddled his donkey and took his son Isaac and two of his young men he cut the wood for the burnt offering and went to the place that God had shown him on the third day of their sad journey they reached the place God had chosen for the sacrifice Abraham told the young men traveling with him to stay with the donkey while Abraham and Isaac went ahead to worship we will come back to you said Abraham Abraham carried the fire and the knife while Isaac carried the wood [Music] when they reach the spot Abraham erected an altar Isaac questioned his father the fire and the wood are here but where is the lamb for the burnt offering Abraham then responded with the heart-rending words God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering my son [Music] when Abraham had completed the altar he seized his son Isaac and tied his limbs together as he would ritually tie the limbs of a sacrificial animal and he laid Isaac on the pyre he then reached out and without revealing his feelings he raised the knife and prepared to kill his son only then to the angel of the Lord intervened Abraham Abraham he called Abraham responded Here I am angel of the Lord said do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son your only son and Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven by myself I have sworn says the Lord because you have done this and have not withheld your son your only son I will indeed bless you and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore and your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessings for themselves because you have obeyed my voice Genesis 22 15 [Music] the story of Abraham and Sarah ends and the story of Isaac Jacob and Esau begins in the land of Canaan in the land we now call Israel [Music] scholars of the Bible often compare the life of Isaac with the life of Jesus their miraculous births and their unquestioning obedience at the time they were called upon to be sacrificed here is where those extraordinarily similar events took place in Bethlehem Jerusalem mom Rick and Mariah separated by 2,000 years and less than 50 miles according to the Old Testament Isaac's mother Sarah died when she was 127 years old in Hebron in the land of Canaan Abraham Isaac and her loved ones mourned and wept and buried her in a cave facing Mamre three years later when Isaac was 40 years old Abraham ordered his oldest most trusted servant to find a wife for Isaac in the tradition of the times Abraham had him place his hand under his thigh and made him swear by the Lord that he would not choose a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites among them they were little instead Abraham wanted his servant to go back to Abraham's ancestral lands in paddan-aram where he might find a more suitable wife for Isaac [Music] but suppose the woman doesn't want to follow me back here asked a servant shall I take Isaac back to your homeland no you must promise me that you will not take Isaac back there is Shamu and Abraham explained that if the woman was unwilling to follow him the servant would be free from the opiates Worf [Music] it's move at the the faithful old servant then took ten of his master's camels loaded them with beautiful gifts and set off for the city of mayo which is close to Haram he reached the outskirts of the city toward evening and had his camels kneeled down beside the well of water the women of the town were already out to draw water from the well the servant prayed asking for some sign from the Lord that would help him choose a wife for Isaac from among those women Oh Lord he said I am standing here by the spring of water and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water when I say please let me sip a little water from your jar let the one you have chosen for Isaac's a drink and I will water your camels also even before he had finished pray the beautiful Rebekah daughter of one of Abraham's nephews appeared with a water jar on her shoulders the servant went to meet her and said please let me sip a little water from your jar he wondered if she was the woman God had chosen to be the wife of Isaac [Music] then Rebecca answered she answered with a sign from God drinked my lord and I will draw water for your camels also the servant knew then that God had chosen Rebecca to be the wife of Isaac and asked if there was room for him to spend the night in her father's house [Music] Rebecca ran home and told her brother Laban what had happened [Music] and laban returned to the spring to invite the stranger in his party into their home before they ate the servant told Rebecca's family that he had been sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac and recognizing that the servant was blessed by the Lord they agreed to let Rebecca leave with him the next morning Rebecca and her maids prepared for a long trip back to Canaan then they mounted the camels and went with a servant to meet Isaac [Music] Isaac was settled in the Negev and happened to be out for a stroll in the field when he looked up he saw camels approaching and went to meet the caravan when Isaac and Rebecca saw each other for the first time it was love at first sight she slipped quickly from her camel and whispered to the servant who is that man over there walking the field to meet the servant said that is my master Isaac Rebecca quickly covered herself with her veil as was proper for a mate the servant then introduced Rebecca to Isaac and told him everything that had happened on his trip how he prayed for a sign from the Lord and how the beautiful Rebecca gave him that sign Rebecca and Isaac felt very much in love and were married and there was a great celebration in Genesis 24 67 the Bible tells us then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent he took Rebecca and she became his wife and he loved her so Isaac was comforted after his mother's death [Music] [Music] Abraham lived to the age of 175 as the Bible describes him an old man and full of years his sons Isaac and Ishmael came together for the last time to bury their beloved father in the Cave of Machpelah in the field east of mummery where they had buried Sarah after Abraham died God blessed Isaac and Isaac and Rebekah settled at beer-lahai-roi [Music] [Applause] after 20 years of marriage Rebecca finally became pregnant Rebecca was having difficulty conceiving a child but Isaac prayed to the Lord and the Lord answered his print thereby perpetuating the family of Abraham Rebecca's pregnancy was extremely difficult she had conceived twins and the children within her were scuffling even before they were born this was distressing to Rebecca who said if it is to be this way why do I live in Genesis 25 23 the Lord explained to Rebecca two nations are in your womb and two peoples born of you shall be divided the one shall be stronger than the other the elder shall serve the younger and when her time came to give birth the first twin was born covered in red hair the second child emerged holding on to his brothers heel showed not the money who look at the letter the first child they named he saw and the younger they named [Music] Jacob Isaac was 60 years old when his sons were born [Music] as the boys grew esau learned to be an outdoorsman and a skillful hunter while jacob was more of a shepherd and herder he saw became his father's favorite and jacob was his mother's and as the years went by the brothers grew their separate ways and when they were young men something happened that drew them even further apart one day when Jacob was cooking a stew he saw staggered back from the field exhausted and starving let me eat some of that red stuff for I am famished said he saw and Jacob said first sell me your birthright Jacob was demanding that Esau turn over to him whatever might become his as Isaac's firstborn the famished Esau agreed to the sale with the words I am about to die of what use is a birthright to me swear to me first in sister Jamie and he saw swore to him only then did Jacob offer him food and only later did the full effect of this oath become apparent when a famine came to the land Isaac considered going to Egypt where he knew there would be food as his father Abraham had done before him he traveled as far as Guerard but then Isaac received his first vision in Genesis 26 - the Lord appeared to him and said do not go down to Egypt settled in the land that I shall show you reside in this land as an alien and I will be with you and will bless you for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father Abraham so Isaac trusted in the word of the Lord and settled in Gerard the land of the Philistines when the men of Guerard asked him about Rebecca he was afraid to say she was his wife because she is so attractive he thought the men might kill me for her sake so he told them she was his sister when Isaac had been in Guerard a long time one day King Abimelech looked out and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah he called for Isaac and said so she is your wife why then did you say she was your sister Isaac then explained that he was fearful but if he said she was his wife he might be killed for her sake then left was upset that Isaac what have you done to us one of the people might easily have lain with your wife and you would have brought guilt upon us but sensing the hand of the Lord have been left warned all the people whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death the Lord blessed Isaac soul abundantly that his crops reaped a hundredfold and he became very wealthy from there Isaac went up to Beersheba where the Lord appeared to him in Genesis 26 24 the Lord said to him I am the God of your father Abraham do not be afraid for I am with you and will bless you and make your offspring numerous for my servant Abraham saying in Genesis 27 1 we read of Isaac as old and rather feeble his eyes were dimmed so that he could not see he called to his firstborn and favorite son Esau for he wanted to give him his blessing and to understand the full impact of this story it is important to know that according to ancient belief blessings or curses were powerful acts because they had the power to produce the intended results a blessing once given could neither be withdrawn nor given to another for it came from God here is where God's prophecy to Rebekah before her sons were born is fulfilled the elder shall serve the younger Isaac told Esau to take his weapons and hunt game then prepare a savory dish for him before he gave his blessing Rebekah overheard Isaac's instructions to he saw and quickly devised a plan so that Jacob her favorite son would receive the blessing from Isaac she told Jacob to choose two choice kids from the household flock and bring them to her so that she might prepare savory food for Isaac she then explained to Jacob he shall take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies but Jacob was fearful that his father would see through the deception look he said my brother Esau is a hairy man and I am a man of smooth skin if my father were to feel me he would know I was Jacob not Esau and he'd bring his curse upon me rather than his blessing let your curse be on me she said obey my word and get them for me [Music] and so it was that Jacob Gotham and Rebecca prepared savory food just as Isaac loved for his disguise Rebecca took some of Esau's finest clothes and put them on Jacob she put the skins of the kids on his wrists and hands and on the smooth part of his neck when Rebecca was satisfied that Jacob would appear hairy to Isaac she handed him the savoury food she had prepared Jacob entered the tent and called to his father my father he said who are you my son asked the old man I am Esau your firstborn I have done as you told me now sit up and eat of my game so that you may bless me Isaac was suspicious how is it you hunted the game and cooked it so quickly my son and Jacob answered because the Lord your God granted me success come near that I may feel you my son to know whether or not you are really my son Esau so Jacob went up close to him Isaac felt his hands and said the voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau are you really my son Esau and Jacob answered I am he then gave his father the food and wine and his father Aiden Drac Seana after having eaten Isaac said to Jacob come near and kiss me my son Jacob came near and kissed him and Isaac smelled the smell of Esau his clothing and now convinced he was Esau he gave Jacob his blessing [Music] no sooner had Isaac finished blessing Jacob than his brother Esau returned from his hunting when Esau went into his father with the food he had prepared isaac asked who are you he saw answered I am your firstborn son Esau Isaac then realized he had been deceived and he asked Esau who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me before you came and I have blessed him yes blessed he shall be when he saw heard his father's words he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and pleaded with his father bless me me also father but Isaac said your brother came deceitfully and he is stolen your blessing he has supplanted me twice cried Esau first he took away my birthright and now he has taken away by blessing have you not reserved a blessing for me then Isaac answered Esau his plea I have already made him your Lord and I have given him all his brothers as servants with grain and wine to sustain him what then can I do for you my son have you only one blessing bless me me also father and he saw lifted up his voice and wept there was nothing Isaac could do the deed was done and Esau had lost the blessing he should have received as the firstborn son now he saw hated Jacob for what he had done and Esau vowed that once his father died he would kill Jacob subong Esau's threat reached Rebecca and she explained to Jacob your brother is consoling himself by planning to kill you she then instructed Jacob to flee at once to her on where he could stay with her brother Laban until Esau forgets what you have done to him then I will send for you and bring you back from there why should I lose both of you in one day then Isaac called Jacob and once again blessed him and ordered him not to marry any of the Canaanite women but to go at once to paddan-aram and take one of the daughters of Rebecca's brother Laban as a wife I mean Jacob then left Beersheba and headed toward Haran and it was on this journey that he experienced an astonishing heavenly vision he had travelled about twelve miles in the wilderness to the north of what is now called Jerusalem when the Sun had set he chose a place to rest and he picked up one of the stones for a pillow put it under his head and fell asleep he dreamed there was a ladder suspended between heaven and earth and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it and the Lord stood beside him and in Genesis 28 13 he said to Jacob I am the Lord the God of Abraham your father and the god of Isaac the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you when Jacob awoke from his sleep he said how awesome is this place this is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven he anointed with oil the stone upon which he had slept setting it apart for God's use and named the place Bethel meaning house of God he also vowed to give God one-tenth of his earnings or a tithe if he were as God had promised to return safely to Canaan Jacob continued on his journey and as he came close to her on he saw a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying there beside it there was a huge stone on the mouth of the well and in the evening when all the flocks were gathered the Shepherd's together would remove the stone water the sheep and then replaced the stone the Shepherd's were from Haran and they indeed knew Jacob's uncle Laban in fact Leyland's daughter Rachel was just arriving at the well with her father's flock when Jacob first caught sight of his beautiful cousin Rachel he didn't wait for the other Shepherds alone by himself he rolled the stone from the well and watered the flocks [Music] Rachel was immediately taken with the stranger as he was with her could this be the woman from her on that Jacob would be taking for his wife [Music] here we cannot be Jacob ran to Rachel and kissed her he explained he was her father as well and she ran home to tell him [Music] Jacob stayed in laymen's home and worked with him and after a month Laban said to him just because you are my kinsman should you therefore serve me for nothing tell me what your wages should be now Laban had two daughters the beautiful Rachel was the younger and the less attractive leah was older and Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel so he made a bargain with Laban I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel and Laban agreed the seven years seemed to Jacob but a few days because of his love for Rachel and after the seven years had passed he went to Laban and said give me Rachel as my wife that I'm a consummate my marriage with her Laban agreed and prepared a huge feast [Music] on the wedding night there was great joy in celebration there was music dancing and lavishly prepared food and wine during the ceremony and in the tradition of the times the bride was veiled and what Jacob did not realize was that Laban had tricked him behind the wedding veil was not Rachel whom he loved but Leah her sister for seven years Jacob had dreamed about this day and he was perhaps the most excited of all who had come to celebrate with him he ate and drank and danced and partied through the day and on into the night not for one moment did Jacob suspect that Laban would deceive him he had no reason to doubt that he was marrying his first love Rachel and on his wedding night he thought he had taken Rachel into his tent Jacob did not discover until the next morning that he had consummated the marriage not with Rachel but with her older sister Leah he was devastated what is this you have done to me cried Jacob to Laban did I not serve you for seven years for Rachel Laban calmly explained that local custom required that the older daughter be married first however he told Jacob if he would finish the bridal week with Leah he would give him Rachel if he would serve him for another seven years Jacob agreed after the week with Leah Jacob married Rachel and served his uncle another seven years [Music] [Music] Leigha the unloved wife proved to be fertile while the much-loved Rachel did not conceive for many years Leah had four sons Reuben and Simeon and Levi and Judah but like Sarah and Rebecca before her Rachel also had difficulty conceiving a child since she failed to bear children she became envious of her sister and offered her maidservant Bilhah to jacob that she may have children through her Bilhah conceived and gave birth to Dan and then a second son Naftali [Music] and when Lia ceased to have children she offered her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob and she bore Jacob two sons gad and ashur [Music] Leigha then bought two more signs Issachar and Zebulun and a daughter Dinah then finally God remembered Rachel he heard her prayers and she bore a son and this child they named Joseph all told 11 of the 12 ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel were born during jacob's 20 years of Exile Benjamin was yet to be born after Joseph was born Jacob spent six more years working for Laban he was awaiting his mother's message that it was safe to return to his homeland and he wanted to provide for his own household for his wages Jacob made an unusual request of Laban in Genesis 30 31 Jacob says you shall not give me anything let me pass through all your flock today removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black Lance and the spotted and speckled among the goats and such shall be my wages Laban agreed to the bargain and Jacob left reassured once again however Laban tried to deceive Jacob as soon as they parted Laban had his sons remove every one of those animals from his flock this time Jacob realized he was being cheated and he had to protect himself from Laban and his kinsmen God was watching over Jacob however and he saw to it the despite Levens underhanded ways Jacobs flocks grew larger and stronger and Jacob became prosperous the more prosperous he became the more envious Laban and his kinsmen became in Genesis 31 3 the Lord said to Jacob return to the land of your father's where you were born and I will be with you Jacob then told Leah and Rachel about his plans to leave Laban he also told them about a dream he had in which the angel of God said I have seen all that Laban is doing to you'll leave this land at once and return to the land of your birth trying to avoid a confrontation while Laban was away shearing sheep Jacob fled paddan-aram with his wives and children and servants and livestock and all his possessions before they left and unbeknownst to anyone else Rachel stole her father's household idols which were precious to him since they ensured his leadership of the family she hid them in the saddlebags of her camp [Music] three days later when Laban returned he was furious he pursued Jacob for seven days and finally caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead west of the Euphrates River Jacob and his people feared for the worst they prepared for battle but there was none Laban had come in peace [Music] he was not looking for a fight as much as he was looking for an explanation not only was Laban insulted that Jacob had left secretly not even allowing him to kiss his daughters and grandchildren goodbye but he was further upset by the idea that Jacob had stolen his teraphim the images of his household gods Jacob was indignant at having been accused of stealing the idols he not only swore he didn't have the idols but he also promised he would kill anyone found with them he invited Laban to search the camp [Music] Laban came to Rachel's tent she was sitting on the camel bags where she had hidden the idols Rachel pleaded that she could not rise for the way women was upon me so despite the search Laban never found his idols [Music] afterwards Jacob and Laban made a pact of peace the following day Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren goodbye and the two men in their parties went their separate ways [Music] even though he had avoided a battle with Laban Jacob still had his brother Esau to deal with he decided to send messengers ahead to Esau in the land of Seir the country of Edom he told them to tell Esau that he had been living with Laban as an alien and had been detained there until now [Music] when the messengers returned they told Jacob that Esau was fast on his way to meet Jacob and he was coming with 400 men Jacob panicked he and his party were no match for 400 men and he was afraid that Esau would kill them all who did what he could first he sent lavish gifts to Esau including hundreds of sheep and goats and schools of cattle and camels hoping to appease him and at the same time he moved his household and remaining goods to a safer place back across the Javik a tributary of the Jordan River one of the most baffling stories in the Bible occurs when Jacob was alone that night on the bank of the Jobbik suddenly found himself rustling in the dark - the mysterious stranger religious scholars for generations have debated the significance of this wrestling match does it symbolize the Israelites persistent struggles with the Lord the divine blessing it earned is it the battle every human must undergo with the forces of evil in any event Jacob and the stranger wrestled until the break of dawn and when the stranger saw that he could not bring Jacob down he struck Jacobs hip at its sake and sprained it nevertheless Jacob eventually dominated the struggle at daybreak the man said let me go Jacob Riis lied I will not let you go unless you bless me in genesis 32:28 the man replied you shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed before the Sun rose the stranger left as Jacob limped away he realized he had come face to face with God and survived to this day many Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket well that is where Jacob was struck Jacob rejoined his family but he still remained fearful as his brother and his man kept getting closer Esau and his men were now within sight Jacob called his family together fearful that they would not survive a battle with Esau he motioned them to stay back [Music] when Esau came closer Jacob bowed to the ground seven times the two brothers who had not seen each other for over 20 years approached each other [Music] Jacob's fears of Esau were unfounded for his forgiving brother ran joyously toward him embraced him and kissed him [Music] isaw asked Jacob what he meant by sending all those gifts and Jacob replied to find favor with my Lord but Esau said I haven't enough my brother keep what you have for yourself but Jacob insisted and he saw finally accepted the gifts that day Esau returned to seer and Jacob continued to Succoth where he set up his tents and made pens for his cattle many years later Jacob finally arrived safely at Shechem in the promised land the land of Canaan and he set up camp within sight of the city he bought land from Haymore the Prince of the city so that his people could live there in peace and harmony and he set up an altar to the God of Israel [Music] [Applause] when Dinah the daughter of Jacob and Leah went out to visit some of the women of the land hey Moors son Shechem seized her and raped her [Music] when Jacob heard that his daughter had been defiled he held his peace until his sons returned home from the fields when they heard their sister had been raped Jacob's sons were angered and seemed if indignation check-ins behavior was an outrage and could not be tolerated Haymore tried to appeal to the sons telling them that Shechem had his heart set on marrying Dinah and then checkin himself appealed to Jake about his sons telling them no matter how high they set the bride price he would pay whatever they asked only give me the girl to be my wife we cannot do this thing replied the brothers to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised but that would be a disgrace to us only on this condition will we consent to you that you will become as we are and every male among you be circumcised but if you will not listen to us and be circumcised then we will take our daughter and be gone the men of the town agreed with the conditions and every able-bodied man in the community was circumcised on the third day when all the men of the town were still in pain recovering from their circumcisions Dinah's brothers simeon and levi two of Jacob's sons took their swords and advanced against the city without any resistance and they massacred every male they killed him more and his son Shechem and took Dinah from Chekhov's house [Music] then the other sons of Jacob followed up the slaughter and continued to sack the city of Shechem [Music] they seized all their flocks Emperor's carried off all their wealth their women and their children and took whatever was in the houses no man was left alive and nothing was left standing [Music] Jacob was gravely disturbed he told Simeon and Levi they had brought great trouble to him and his family by making them odious to the inhabitants of the land my numbers are few he said and if they gather themselves against me and attack me I shall be destroyed but the two sons continued to defend their action arguing should our sister be treated like a whore shortly thereafter Jacob left Shechem and did Genesis 35 one the Lord said to Jacob arise go up to Bethel and settle there make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau [Music] so Jacob and all his people journeyed to Bethel in the land of Canaan they're on the site of the vision of the angels on the ladder he restored the altar he had built 20 years earlier once again God appeared to Jacob and blessed him in Genesis 35 9 god said to Jacob your name is Jacob no longer shall you be called Jacob but Israel shall be your name I am God Almighty be fruitful and multiply a nation and the company of nations shall come from you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you and I will give the land to your offspring after you even after all these years Isaac was still alive and Jacob decided to visit him on the journey Rachel went into labor not far from Bethlehem where two thousand years later and just a few miles away Jesus was born [Applause] [Music] Rachel never reached mommy with Jacob while giving birth to Benjamin her second son she died Jacob continued his sad journey [Music] soon after he arrived in Mali his father Isak also died he was 118 years old [Music] Esau and Jacob is twin sons buried him and never saw each other again except for his final years Jacob lived the rest of his life in Cana in modern times the name given him by God reappeared in 1948 when the Jews of Palestine declared their independence they named their new state after Jacob they named it Israel now the story of Joseph and his brothers which takes us from Israel to the land of Egypt Joseph was the son of Jacob grandson of Isaac and great-grandson of Abraham he was born in Israel some two hundred years after the birth of Abraham but his adventures took himself on a perilous journey to Egypt unlike Abraham Isaac and Jacob Joseph never talks directly with God but instead receives the Lord's messages through dreams which were in those days considered divine communications the story is an exciting tale of Joseph the dreamer of Joseph of the splendid coat how Joseph's brothers wanted to murder him and then sold him into slavery and how Joseph survived and eventually became other than the Pharaoh the most powerful man in Egypt I sure when Joseph was 17 he was still living with his father Jacob and his 11 brothers as you remember Jacob had 12 sons 6 by his first wife Leah Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar and Zebulun two sons by Leah's maid Zilpah gad and ashur and two sons were by his second wife Rachel's maid Bilhah Dan and Naphtali after years of not having children of her own Rachel Jacobs first love gave birth to Joseph who became his favorite Benjamin his 12th son was born later one day when Joseph returned from the fields he reported to his father that his brothers had been doing evil things which only fanned the fire of their jealousy except for Benjamin the brothers already disliked Joseph because he was their father's favorite son to symbolize his favorite position in the family Jacob had made Joseph a beautiful coat of long sleeves the coat of many colours in such a coat Joseph could not do manual labor as his brothers did they wore only the drab sleeveless coats of common shepherds while Joseph's long coat was a constant reminder that their father loved Joseph more than he did them their dislike grew to hatred throughout history Joseph had been referred to as the dreamer and dreams in those ancient biblical times had far more significance than they do today many people believed it was one important way in which the supernatural world communicated with us a way that God talked to people this was extremely important in the life of Joseph one day he was out in the field with his brothers when he had a dream in Genesis 37 6 he told his brothers listen to this dream that I have dreamed there we were binding sheaves in the fields suddenly my sheep rose and stood upright then your sheaves gathered round it and bowed down to my shop and his brothers said to him are you indeed to reign over us are you indeed to have dominion over us and so they also despised him because of his dreams and his words then Joseph had another dream in which his brothers all bowed down to him and what he told it to them their hatred grew to rage via the Hazara cook of image the heavenly the Vig sh'mon so it was that when they were out tending the flock one morning and they saw Joseph approaching in his elegant coat they said let's kill him and get rid of him once and for all the eldest brother argued no let's not kill him shed no blood why don't we just throw him into this dry well here in the wilderness Reubens plan was that when the brothers had all gone he would come back and rescue Joseph and return him to his father so that's what they do they grab Joseph and tore off his coat and threw him down the deep pit some time later when Reuben was away the other brothers saw a caravan of Ishmaelites approaching and Judah said what's the profit in slaying our brother after all he's our own flesh why don't we just sell him to the Ishmaelites Anubis I knew they all agreed and hauled Joseph out of the well and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver then they decided to cover up their crime by killing a goat and dipping Joseph's beautiful coat in the blood to make it look so Joseph had been killed by a wild animal not Matano I care now a Katona and Holly in look when the brothers showed the bloody coat to Jacob he was convinced that his beloved Joseph had been devoured by a wild beast as the Bible tells us in Genesis 37 34 then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days and all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted thus his father wept for him what Jacob did not know however was that Joseph was not dead the Ishmaelites had taken him down into Egypt and sold him to Potapov the captain of pharaoh's guard to be a slave in his house God however continued to watch over Joseph as we learn from genesis 39:2 the Lord was with Joseph and his masters saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands so Joseph found favor in his sight and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake the blessing was upon all that he had in house and field [Applause] now Joseph was handsome and good-looking and after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said live with me but Joseph refused and said to his master's wife look with me here my master has no concern about anything in the house and he has put everything in hands in my hand is not greater in this house than I am nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself because you are his wife how then could I do just great wickedness and sin against God but Potiphar's wife kept after him day after day he tried his best to ignore her not to speak to her one day however when he was in the house working and there was no one else around she caught him and held on to his garment and commanded him once again to come lie with her he tore away from her and fled leaving his garment in her hands Potiphar's wife was furious with Joseph's rejection and she was determined to punish him she screamed for help see my husband has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us he came in and tried to lie with me and when I screamed he fled but he left his garment behind she told fortify the same story when he came home and Potiphar's aged he called his men and threw Joseph into the great prison where Pharaoh's prisoners were held and there Joseph stayed he was not alone the Lord was with him as we are told in Genesis 39 21 the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer the chief jailer committed to Joseph's care all the prisoners who were in prison and whatever was done there he was the one who did it the chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph's care because the Lord was with him and whatever he did the Lord made it prosper some time after this two new prisoners arrived one was the chief cupbearer of the Pharaoh and the other was his chief Baker they had somehow angered the king and he had sent them to prison they had been turned over to Joseph who was charged with taking care of them because they were important officers one night both of these new prisoners had troubling dreams all the more troubling since dreams were considered messages from God when Joseph came to them in the morning he saw that they were upset and asked them why they looked so downcast Joe Ottawa chung-yong harem yes and they told him that they had dreams but they had no one to interpret them and Joseph talked with God's help he would interpret their dreams the chief cupbearer told him that he had dreamed of a vine with three branches and that the branches blossomed and then ripened into clusters of grapes should be said that Pharaoh's cup was in his hand and he took the grapes and pressed them into the cup and gave it to Pharaoh then Joseph told him that the vines meant three days and that within three days he would be restored to his former position as chief cupbearer and Joseph said when they release you please remember me mention me to Pharaoh and try to get me out of here for I have done nothing that they should keep me in this dungeon I can be when the chief Baker heard the favorable interpretation of the cupbearers dream he was eager to tell his own dream monks nuts Jojo in history there were three cake baskets on his head and the top one was full of all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh but the birds came along and ate them we hashed the spool and Joseph said this is the interpretation the three baskets of three days in three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree and the birds will eat the flesh from you three days later it was Pharaoh's birthday and he made a great feast for all his servants the chief cupbearer and the chief Baker were brought out of prison and knelt before him [Music] [Music] he restored the chief cupbearer to his former position and he placed the cup in pharaoh's hat but as Joseph had predicted he condemned the chief Baker to death and the birds gathered to eat his flesh Joseph meanwhile remained in prison the cupbearer had forgotten Joseph's request one night two years later Pharaoh had a dream which awakened him but he went back to sleep [Music] [Applause] and that same night he had a second read in the morning the two dreams troubled him so much he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt to explain what the dreams had meant but none of them could interpret the dreams it was then that the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph he told Pharaoh about the young Hebrew slave in prison who could interpret dreams Pharaoh sent for Joseph [Music] [Music] [Music] and what Joseph appeared before him Pharaoh said I hear you can interpret dream Joseph again explained that his power to interpret dreams came from the Lord it is not I he said God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer then Pharaoh said I dreamed I was standing on the banks of the Nile and saw seven sleek fat cows grazing on the reeds and seven gone themelis starving cows came up and ate the seven fat cows in my second dream I saw seven years of grain full and good growing on one stock and seven years withered thin and blighted by the east wind sprouting after them and the thin ears swallowed up the good ears and Joseph explained Pharaoh's dreams are one in the same God has revealed to Pharaoh what he's about to do there are seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt and after them there will arise seven years of famine and all the plenty will be forgotten the famine will consume the land and the doubling of Pharaoh's dreams means that the thing is fixed by God and God will shortly bring it him out then Joseph told Pharaoh that he should appoint a wise and discreet man and make him overseer of all the land this man would have the power to take one-fifth of all the grain during the seven years of plenty and stock pilot to be used during the seven years of famine shot soda Hawaii water Pharaoh thought that would be a good idea and he also believed that Joseph was the perfect man for the job Nancy some time out Chuck so Rach what to harvest our Tao what's our time he took off his signet ring and placed it on Joseph's finger [Music] and he gave him a sermon the daughter of a high priest to be his wife [Applause] [Music] Joseph was thirty years old and at that time with the exception of Pharaoh himself there was no one in Egypt more power [Music] as it happened events turned out exactly as Joseph had perceived in the next seven years there was a bountiful harvest every year and the greater ease were full to overflowing but the Bible says full beyond measure thanks to the foresight and diligence of Joseph so also was Joseph's life full beyond measure he had gained great prestige great wealth and aseneth had given birth to two sons Joseph however took no credit for his great success in Genesis 41 51 Joseph says God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes and then as Joseph had predicted after seven years of plenty there then came seven years of famine not just in Egypt but throughout the world Joseph continued to be in charge and oversaw the distribution of grain to the starving people not only was there enough grain for the Egyptians but there was enough to be sold to other people as well as the Bible says all the earth came to buy grain from Joseph [Music] including of course Joseph's brothers when Joseph's father Jacob heard that there was grain to be had in Egypt he sent his ten oldest sons down there to buy it for the famine had also severely struck the land of Canaan and Jacob was desperate [Music] I mean he kept Benjamin his youngest son by his side because he was afraid that harm might come to him on the journey [Music] when they arrived in Egypt to buy grain the 10 sons of jacob were taken before the all-powerful Joseph and they knelt down before him this fulfilled the dream Joseph had had years earlier they of course did not recognize Joseph as the brother they had sold into slavery Joseph however recognized them immediately but he did not let them know it he spoke harshly to them and treated them like strangers he turned his back to them as they pleaded with him to sell them grain he even accused them being spies they denied it vehemently and tried to explain to him who they were that their ancient father Jacob was back in Canaan with their youngest brother and they desperately needed to buy food [Music] [Music] Joseph pretended he did not believe them and threw them into prison three days later when he felt that they had suffered enough he went to them and offered them Abarth's I will put you to a test he said I will sell you the grave but you must leave one of you here as hostage return home and come back with your younger brother and I shall know you are telling me the truth and you shall not die much you could do the Parchin non one they are not even the locomotive the brothers agreed to do this and argued their predicament among themselves they did not know that Joseph understood their language since he had always spoken to them through an interpreter Ruben said that what they were going through was punishment for what they had done to their brother Joseph so many years ago did I not tell you not to wrong the boy but you would not listen now comes the reckoning for his blood this was too much for Joseph and he turned away from his brothers and wept then he returned to them and picked out Simeon as a hostage he allowed them to be given grain and he sent them on their way when they got back to Canaan they told their father what had happened to them in Egypt he was in despair in Genesis 42 36 Jacob cries out I am the one you have the reeved of children Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more and now you would take Benjamin indeed my son shall not go down with you for his brother is dead and he alone was yes but when the grain they had brought from Egypt ran out and the famine was still severe in the land the old patriarch realized he had no choice he would have to send them back to Egypt for more grain and he would have to send when the brothers arrived in Eton and once again stood before the mighty Joseph their reception was entirely different Joseph was delighted to see Benjamin with them and he ordered his stool to take them to his house and slaughter an animal and he would dine with them at noon the steward took the men to Joseph's great house and he brought Simeon out of prison to be reunited with them Joseph joined them at noon and asked them about their father and paid particular attention to his younger brother Benjen they still did not recognize Joseph as their long-lost brother according to the Bible they drank and were merry with him a far cry from the harsh and hostile treatment they had experienced before then Joseph commanded his Stuart to fill their bags with food as much as they can carry he also took his own silver cup and told the steward to secretly place it on top of the grain in Benjamin's sack by morning's like the brothers were on their way home they had traveled only a short distance when they were overtaken by Joseph Stewart who accused them of stealing Joseph's silver cup he challenged the brothers why have you returned evil for good the brothers were amazed and vehemently denied it why should we do such a thing they said if it be found with any of us let him die or over the rest of us will become your slaves so be it cities to eat he who has it shall be my slave the rest of you shall go free the steward began searching each man's sack starting with the oldest [Music] the last sack the steward searched was Benjamin and there of course he found the silver cup seeing this the brothers cried out and tore their clothes in despair how could they ever explain this to their father Jacob they loaded up their donkeys and returned to the city [Music] they stood in fear before the now stern Joseph who said what deed is this that you have done Judah stepped forward and pleaded eloquently just about was Natalie telling him about his father and his love for Benjamin the only remaining child of his old age he ended his plea by asking Joseph to let him stay as his slave and let Benjamin go back to his father [Music] young [Music] Judah's plea was too much for Joseph he could not keep up his charade any longer he cried out and sent all the Egyptians out of the room and he wept so loudly that all the Egyptians could hear him and also the household of Pharaoh the brothers were dismayed at this [Music] but Joseph said with great compassion and understanding in Genesis 45 for I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt and now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life for the famine has been in the land these two years and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors so it was not you who sent me here but God with him the similar thing [Music] when Pharaoh heard that Joseph had been reunited with his brothers he was very pleased [Music] he said to Joseph tell your brothers to load up their donkeys and go back to the land of Canaan and get your father and all his household and come to me and I will give them the best land in Egypt and they will live off the fat of the land when they returned home and Jacob heard the whole story that his son Joseph was alive and the governor of all Egypt he was stunned and at first he didn't believe them [Music] but when he saw all the wagons Joseph had sent to carry them back he rejoiced and said enough my son Joseph is still alive I would go to see him before I die so Jacob set out for Egypt with 70 members of his household and all their belongings and livestock [Music] they stopped in Beersheba to offer a sacrifice to God and that night God made Jakob a promise that has become central to the history of the Hebrews in Genesis 46 - God says Jacob Jacob in any I am God the God of your father do not be afraid to go down to Egypt for I will make you a great nation there I myself will go down with you to Egypt and I will also bring you up again [Music] what Jacob and his large family arrived in Egypt lor Joseph presented him to Pharaoh and Jacob blessed pharaoh and pharaoh was as good as his word [Applause] he instructed Joseph to settle his father and his brothers in the region of Goshen which is a fertile area in the northeastern part of the Nile Delta and see that they had food and anything else they needed Jacob and his people prospered there and they were fruitful and multiplied and Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years during that time Joseph became even more wealthy and powerful by trading grain for land and services he effectively abolished private property and established a kind of feudal system that was very profitable for the Pharaohs and for Joseph himself [Music] then one day he received the sad news that Jacob was dying in a beautifully he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and went to his father's bedside then Jacob blessed Joseph and his two boys [Music] Jacob then called all his other sons around him and he blessed them all so [Music] over with that's [Music] I did it because with Shama Alberti at layer and then surrounded by the men after whom the 12 tribes of Israel were named the patriarch Jacob breathed his last he was 147 years old [Music] Joseph and Benjamin and all their brothers took their father's body back to the land of Canaan and they buried him in the cave at Montreuil there at mummery Jacob his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham who remained together for eternity [Music] Joseph returned to Egypt where he had a large family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren he lived to be 110 years old and what he died he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music]

Channel: Questar Entertainment

Views: 319,685

Rating: 4.5961108 out of 5

Keywords: Questar, abraham, bible, sarah, jacob, esau, jospeh, isaac, great people of the bible, faith, inspirational, biblical documentaries

Id: _f_jJ2sG24A

Length: 112min 22sec (6742 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 04 2019