Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: How can we trust what we cannot see? Where is
Speaker 2: our God? We could see the gods of Egypt, We
Speaker 2: had statues, temples, and monuments. Is the Lord Nomad? Does
Speaker 2: he come and go like Moses?
Speaker 1: Moses turned to the elders and stretched out his arms.
Speaker 1: His staff was in his right hand, His knuckles were
Speaker 1: white around its shaft, steady and ready to strike.
Speaker 2: Is the Lord among us or not?
Speaker 1: No answer from the men, just a confused silence.
Speaker 3: Is the Lord among us or not?
Speaker 4: Again?
Speaker 1: The elders shrugged, unsure of how to answer.
Speaker 3: I ask you again, Is the Lord among us or not?
Speaker 1: Moses gripped his staff with both hands, widened his stance,
Speaker 1: shifted his hips, and swung it at the stone, struck
Speaker 1: it with brutal force, causing the outer layer of shale
Speaker 1: to crack. Immediately, a geezer burst out of the rock,
Speaker 1: spilling water out into the dirt below. The elders recoiled
Speaker 1: in shock and immediately rushed to the water to drink.
Speaker 1: Soon enough, the water found a crag and flowed downward
Speaker 1: towards the Israelite camp, like the rivers cutting through Eden.
Speaker 1: The refreshing spring of God brought life. They were His children,
Speaker 1: his chosen people.
Speaker 2: He would not let them fall.
Speaker 4: If you will diligently listen to my voice and do
Speaker 4: that which is right in my eyes, and give all
Speaker 4: to my commandments and keep all my statues. Ah, he
Speaker 4: will put none of the disease on you that I
Speaker 4: put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.
Speaker 5: In the throes of battle, it was not the sword,
Speaker 5: but the uplifted arms of Moses that led to victory.
Speaker 5: Shallow my friends from here in the Holy Land. I'm
Speaker 5: ya l extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Speaker 5: Welcome to the Chosen People. Have you ever wondered why
Speaker 5: some battles shape the soul of a people, why some
Speaker 5: conflicts carve out the identity of a nation. Today we
Speaker 5: step into the shadow of a fierce struggle that tested
Speaker 5: the heart of Israel, the Scourge of Amalik, a story
Speaker 5: of conflict, perseverance, and divine intervention. But more than that,
Speaker 5: it beckons us to question the nature of our own battles.
Speaker 5: Why does God allow us to face such trials? And
Speaker 5: how do we find strength when our enemies rise against us?
Speaker 4: Oh?
Speaker 1: Sheher sat up on the incline of the Rolling Hill
Speaker 1: on a rocky outcropping, absent mindedly sharpening his hunting knife.
Speaker 1: He wasn't sure why he brought it with him that day.
Speaker 1: He had never needed anything beyond his staff to ward
Speaker 1: off predators from his family's flock. With everyone clustered around
Speaker 1: the only water source in the area, help was never
Speaker 1: more than a shout away. But yet something prompted him
Speaker 1: to pocket the knife that morning when he arose. It
Speaker 1: was one of the few possessions that he took from Egypt.
Speaker 1: In fact, it was one of the only possessions he
Speaker 1: had at all. His parents had died before their exodus
Speaker 1: following the prophet Moses. All that remained for him and
Speaker 1: his siblings was a threadbare inheritance of a few tools
Speaker 1: and tattered garments. Hoshier gripped the knife. He did not
Speaker 1: relish the reminder of his life as a slave, but
Speaker 1: the blade was a useful tool, and Hoshier was nothing
Speaker 1: if not practical. It was also perhaps a good reminder
Speaker 1: of the violence and oppression they had escaped. Others may
Speaker 1: be content to complain about their short memories, but ho
Speaker 1: Sheer was determined to remember the miraculous and wondrous things
Speaker 1: that God had done on their behalf. Ho Sheher went
Speaker 1: back to methodically sharpening his knife when between strokes he
Speaker 1: heard the undeniable snap of a twig behind him. The
Speaker 1: hair on the back of his neck stood. He whirled
Speaker 1: around and jumped to his feet. To his horror, a
Speaker 1: heavily armored man was climbing the slope behind him, clearly
Speaker 1: trying to catch him unawares. Time stood still, and the
Speaker 1: two men locked eyes. Ho Sheer in his thin linen
Speaker 1: shepherd's clothes and a small hunting blade, and the man,
Speaker 1: a mysterious warrior wielding a lethal jagged sword and other
Speaker 1: blades strapped to his leather armor. He had almost a
Speaker 1: foot and at least a decade on young Hosher. Ho
Speaker 1: sh still gripped his knife, but his staff leaned uselessly
Speaker 1: on the rock beside him, just out of reach. A
Speaker 1: knife would invite close combat, and Hoshier did not want
Speaker 1: to engage him in hand to hang combat with the
Speaker 1: man's superior reach and armor. Hoshier glanced over to his
Speaker 1: staff to judge how far away it was to grab.
Speaker 1: The warrior took Hoshier's diverted gaze as an opportunity and
Speaker 1: charged forward, lifting his sword above his head and angling
Speaker 1: it down a blow that would surely split Hoshier's unprotected
Speaker 1: skull with minimal effort. Hoshier's eyes locked on the man
Speaker 1: in terror. Abandoning the idea of grabbing for his staff,
Speaker 1: Hoshier did the only thing that came to his stupefied mind.
Speaker 1: He yelled, out of pure adrenaline and instinct, closed his
Speaker 1: eyes and threw a dagger at the man, who was
Speaker 1: ferociously closing the gap between them. Weapon at its full apex,
Speaker 1: a squelching thunder of a blade finding flesh, and then
Speaker 1: a dull crumpling of a body hitting thus made Hosher
Speaker 1: open his eyes. By some miracle, his blade found the
Speaker 1: only gap in the man's armor at his neck. Blood
Speaker 1: was still pumping as it spurted in an unsightly death
Speaker 1: rattle rhythm.
Speaker 4: From the entry mood.
Speaker 1: He would have stood in shock for who knows how long. However,
Speaker 1: movement down the hill caught his eye. His mouth dropped
Speaker 1: as he beheld a sizeable host emerging from the haze
Speaker 1: of the desert. At the bottom of the hill. He
Speaker 1: saw the tips of their spears above their heads and
Speaker 1: mighty shields in their hands. They were still aways off,
Speaker 1: and the heat of the desert distorted his view, but
Speaker 1: he could only assume they were as heavily armored as
Speaker 1: his attacker had been. The man at what woubly being
Speaker 1: a scout, He realized Hosher was the long occupier of
Speaker 1: the only high ground where they camped. He that this
Speaker 1: hill also rocked the host from view, and it would
Speaker 1: take them only a short time to realize that their
Speaker 1: scout was not returning. Fea pushed back the wave of moose.
Speaker 1: The Hooshier was feeling from the sickening sight of his kill.
Speaker 1: Terror gripped him as he realized that the armed force
Speaker 1: could mount this hill and be upon their camp in
Speaker 1: a matter of minutes. He had to tell someone He
Speaker 1: had to have survived this encounter for some reason, and
Speaker 1: he supposed this was it forgetting his lodged knife in
Speaker 1: a corpse's neck. Hoshier scooped up his staff from the
Speaker 1: rock and sprinted down the hill toward camp, screaming as
Speaker 1: loud as his lungs could support and raising the alarm,
Speaker 1: but that an attack was imminent. Moses was nursing a
Speaker 1: mounting headache as he listened to two men ere their grievances.
Speaker 1: When the boy careened into camp, shouting, invaders, We're about
Speaker 1: to be attacked over the hill, Moses dismissed the men
Speaker 1: in front of him and nodded to Aaron Miriam and
Speaker 1: her Miriam's son to go and intercept the boy. They
Speaker 1: immediately did as he bid, and not even a heart
Speaker 1: beat later, the boy was panting before him quickly, My.
Speaker 6: Son, what did you see, Moses?
Speaker 7: Beyond that hill? There's a great host who may be
Speaker 7: several hundred men. They're not Egyptian, but they are heavily armed.
Speaker 7: Was able to kill their scout before I ran here,
Speaker 7: But they will notice he is missing soon and surely attack.
Speaker 3: Your name, My son, oh Jose, son of none, your people,
Speaker 3: my people, your tribe, bouget a son of none? Who
Speaker 3: are they?
Speaker 1: Ephria?
Speaker 7: I am of the tribe of Ephria.
Speaker 3: Hum.
Speaker 1: Besides the hesitation in naming his tribe, this whole sheer
Speaker 1: had proven himself valuable by despatching the scout. The young
Speaker 1: man standing before Moses was unassuming enough. He was grown,
Speaker 1: but still young and lack the gravitas to stand before
Speaker 1: his leader and speak confidently. But he was quick on
Speaker 1: his feet, and their God had granted him success and
Speaker 1: brought him here to warn Moses of the coming threat.
Speaker 1: Perhaps the boy, like his nation, could be molded. Aaron
Speaker 1: entered the tent, swiftly, returning.
Speaker 8: With a report.
Speaker 9: It's true, mosts hearing reports of a host of men
Speaker 9: just beyond that ridge. The boy has spoken true. Our
Speaker 9: scouts estimate the numbers to be five hundred.
Speaker 10: Or so, five hundred against our six hundred thousand men.
Speaker 10: How could they even dare against our numbers? And our
Speaker 10: numbers are even greater beyond the fighting men.
Speaker 7: Eh.
Speaker 11: Using the term fighting men for what we have is
Speaker 11: awfully generous of you, my son.
Speaker 2: How many of our men.
Speaker 11: Have actually wielded weapons, much less near battle?
Speaker 10: Aren't there a few who served as mercenaries in Barrow's army?
Speaker 6: Ha?
Speaker 11: Ha, Perhaps a dozen of them, and they're old and
Speaker 11: rickety now, hardly enough to count on.
Speaker 9: Unfortunately, these approaching soldiers are fully armed with swords and shields.
Speaker 9: They may even have archers amongst their ranks. Oh, God
Speaker 9: save us. Most of our fighting men carry clubs and
Speaker 9: axes for defending their flocks.
Speaker 7: What are such weapons against bronze and iron.
Speaker 10: But still, perhaps they just mean to scare us off.
Speaker 10: We are camped around the only drinkable water in the area.
Speaker 10: They cannot truly intend to destroy millions. And do we
Speaker 10: know who they are?
Speaker 7: There are rumblings that there are Amalekites ah, the line
Speaker 7: of Edom, sons of Esau.
Speaker 11: Yes, these Amalkites are of Edom, descendants of Esau through
Speaker 11: his first son, Aliphaz.
Speaker 9: Yes, and perhaps the first of many foes we will
Speaker 9: meet before we enter Canaan. They have traveled very far
Speaker 9: to have encountered us here.
Speaker 3: They are nomads in this land, and we stand between
Speaker 3: them and the only water source for miles. We must
Speaker 3: stand against them and show them we are not worth
Speaker 3: the effort.
Speaker 1: The three dip their heads in agreement. Hoshia watched them
Speaker 1: intently and with intelligent eyes that seemed content to be
Speaker 1: forgotten in the flurry of discussion between Moses in a.
Speaker 3: Circle, Hoshea, select some men for us and go fight
Speaker 3: against Amelek tomorrow. I will stand up on the hilltop
Speaker 3: with our God's staff in my hand.
Speaker 1: Ho Shia gaped at Moses' words, but as the other
Speaker 1: three heads turned to him in surprise, he straightened his
Speaker 1: shoulders and held his head high before nodding in acknowledgment.
Speaker 1: Moses was pleased his instincts were right about this one.
Speaker 3: Go now and make your selections and ready for them
Speaker 3: for the battle. We only have a few swords at
Speaker 3: our disposal. Be sure to take one for yourself. See
Speaker 3: what weapons the other men have. If we have archers
Speaker 3: or those who can use a sling, organize them first
Speaker 3: and see what you can find for shields. You want
Speaker 3: to make sure our front lines are secure before you
Speaker 3: do anything else, and leave a small company in reserve
Speaker 3: behind to protect the women and children.
Speaker 7: Yes, Lord Moses, and'll go now and see it done.
Speaker 1: With that, young Hoshir ran off. Moses turned back to
Speaker 1: his advisers.
Speaker 11: That's a lot of trust for a boy you just met, Moses.
Speaker 10: He's a lamb of a boy against wolves.
Speaker 3: We are all lambs, Miriam, Lest you forget how the
Speaker 3: Lord delivered us from Verhah.
Speaker 2: Very well, my brother, what will you have me do?
Speaker 3: Miriam? You are to organize the women and children, draw
Speaker 3: them in close so the defenders young the hoche Raises
Speaker 3: will not be spread too thin. Aaron and her you're
Speaker 3: with me tomorrow. At dawn, we'll view the battle from
Speaker 3: above and call upon the help of our God.
Speaker 1: Ho Sheer's sweaty hands gripped his staff, and he drew
Speaker 1: a shuddering breath as he beheld the Amalekite army marching
Speaker 1: toward them. May have been Hosher's imagination, but either the
Speaker 1: ground was shaking beneath the steady march of their impending footsteps,
Speaker 1: or his heartbeat had traveled fully into his head and
Speaker 1: was spilling out his ears. He could not recall a
Speaker 1: time he had ever been so scared. The Israelites stood
Speaker 1: before them in great numbers, but the tang of fear
Speaker 1: hung tensely in the air. They lacked experience, and resources
Speaker 1: and courage. They had all been mere slaves only weeks ago.
Speaker 1: Hoshier had organized the men as Moses had asked. He
Speaker 1: delegated each tribe to assign their men to various roles
Speaker 1: and gather what weapons they had. Hosier stood at the
Speaker 1: back of the great host, in the general's position. He
Speaker 1: was still dumbfounded that anyone had listened to him at all.
Speaker 1: But they had, and now they kept looking between him
Speaker 1: the tiny figure of Moses on the hilltop and the
Speaker 1: nearing enemy army. Hoser tempted to despair. He felt unqualified,
Speaker 1: because well he was, he was no warrior. Hoshier's shoulders
Speaker 1: slunk downward, but then a young man from the tribe
Speaker 1: of Judah placed a hand on his shoulder. His brow
Speaker 1: was furrowed with determination. His voice was deep for a
Speaker 1: man his age, but deeply reassuring.
Speaker 4: Do not be afraid, Hosier. Remember the mighty things that
Speaker 4: staff has done important Moses's hand.
Speaker 8: We await your command, Joseya.
Speaker 1: Hoshier gave him a grateful smile and rallied his resolve.
Speaker 1: He then swallowed nervously, but schooled his face into neutrality
Speaker 1: as he kept his eyes on their leader, waiting for
Speaker 1: his command. The Amalekites halted before them in neat, disciplined lines.
Speaker 1: Their archers stood off and at an angle to avoid
Speaker 1: getting in the fray. Once the battle began in earnest,
Speaker 1: their mighty shields were perf fly locked in an impenetrable
Speaker 1: line at the front of their column, and Hoshier could
Speaker 1: see a line of glistening spear tips extending far above them.
Speaker 1: Even if they somehow broke the line of shields, the
Speaker 1: spearmen could skewer them from a safe distance with a
Speaker 1: mighty blow. Far above their heads. Carrion birds circled. One
Speaker 1: thing was sure, in mere hours they would feast on
Speaker 1: the armies below. No matter the outcome, the Amalekite seemed
Speaker 1: content to wait for the Green Israelite army to make
Speaker 1: the first move. It was as if they could sense
Speaker 1: the unease and inexperience across the field. Ho Shier kept
Speaker 1: his focus on the force, but out of the corner
Speaker 1: of his eye waited for moses signal. He saw Moses
Speaker 1: take the staff in both hands and suddenly raised it
Speaker 1: over his head. Hosha didn't realize how tightly he was
Speaker 1: wound until in response to the staff being raised overhead,
Speaker 1: Hoshier let out a roar. To his surprise, it was
Speaker 1: joined almost instantaneously by the entire Israelite army. The front
Speaker 1: lines carried their battle cry in their lungs as they
Speaker 1: charged towards the enemy's fortified lines.
Speaker 7: Arjas knock drao loose.
Speaker 1: In answer, a thrum of arrows soared from bows and
Speaker 1: rained down on the shields of the Amalekites. By some miracle,
Speaker 1: many of the arrows found their marks, felling several shield bearers,
Speaker 1: but the holes were quickly replenished with fresh men and shields.
Speaker 1: The front line of Israelites was almost to the enemy lines.
Speaker 7: Arjas again knock Drao loose for.
Speaker 1: A second time. The arrows hummed over the army and
Speaker 1: found their marks. The lions faltered with this second wave,
Speaker 1: just as the Israelites met them with axes and clubs.
Speaker 1: Shepherds and farmers clobbed the stunned, seasoned Amalekites with unimaginable ferocity,
Speaker 1: beating them back. As the next wave of Israelites flooded
Speaker 1: in to relieve them, Hoshia charged himself with another group
Speaker 1: of men. They burst through the broken lines with ferocity
Speaker 1: foreign to slaves and peasants. But they were no longer slaves.
Speaker 1: Hoshier thought it best to remind.
Speaker 7: Them Pharaoh has been slain.
Speaker 9: You are no longer shane men.
Speaker 7: You are free. Fight fight is free men.
Speaker 1: The men around Hoshia cheered and hollered. They were doing
Speaker 1: it somehow, and against all reason or odds, they were
Speaker 1: defeating their enemy. Hoshier shouted along with them and beamed
Speaker 1: at their triumphant leader, Moses, still holding his staff, high
Speaker 1: above his head on the hill overlooking the battle. Sweat
Speaker 1: pooled at moses hairline and dripped down his neck. His
Speaker 1: knuckles were white and shaking as they gripped his staff
Speaker 1: above his head. Hoshia had found his stride. Leading the army.
Speaker 1: He orchestrated the few arches and slingshots. He had to
Speaker 1: time their assault to proceed with the waves of attack
Speaker 1: on the front line, and they were successfully chipping away
Speaker 1: at the enemy's lines little by little. Without thinking, Moses
Speaker 1: began to lower his now trembling arms as he leaned
Speaker 1: forward to watch the faltering lines. Victory seemingly within grasp
Speaker 1: with just a few more charges forward, But suddenly the
Speaker 1: booming voice of the Amalekite general sounded, and an onomous
Speaker 1: twan of bow strings responded. Hundreds of Israelites from the
Speaker 1: middle of the army crumpled to the ground. They were
Speaker 1: well beyond the protection of the shields. Moses could sense
Speaker 1: the Israelites recoil in fear as their concentration and confidence broke.
Speaker 1: The Amalekite spearmen then charged forward, tilting their iron weapons
Speaker 1: forward through tiny gaps in the shields. They broke through
Speaker 1: the front lines with these The side columns of their
Speaker 1: army then broke off and flanked the ASA lights as
Speaker 1: the archers took out another round of men behind the
Speaker 1: front lines. The coordinated effort effectively cut off the front
Speaker 1: lines from the rest of the army, to be destroyed
Speaker 1: with no hope of retreat.
Speaker 3: Our men are waning, Moses, what well, what's happening?
Speaker 2: We were winning?
Speaker 1: And then Moses gaped helplessly at the scene before him.
Speaker 1: It all happened so fast. Aaron and who were equally
Speaker 1: engrossed in horror. But Moses realized what he had held
Speaker 1: in his hands. His God had promised to be with
Speaker 1: him and perform miraculous things with it. Moses thrust the
Speaker 1: staff into the air, as he had for the first
Speaker 1: part of the battle, and in response, the Israelite forces
Speaker 1: surged forward, throwing down their enemies. Those who hemmed in
Speaker 1: suddenly fell away, and another round of arrows and slung
Speaker 1: rocks aided their retreat to regroup. However, moses arms tired
Speaker 1: quick and they shook to keep the staff in the air.
Speaker 1: It was like a battle with forces beyond gravity, and
Speaker 1: the failing strength of his arm He cried out in
Speaker 1: pain as the tremors of his arms shook through his
Speaker 1: entire body as exhaustion sapped his body. As his arms
Speaker 1: began to lower, the enemy surged forward and took out
Speaker 1: another score of men. Moses had been entrusted to protect
Speaker 1: every one of them. If his God required he aid
Speaker 1: them in this strange way. He would not fail. Though
Speaker 1: there were thousands of them. Each life lost weighed on
Speaker 1: his soul. He gritted his teeth until his head felt
Speaker 1: like it might explode. He strained against fatigue and told
Speaker 1: the ground around him without taking his eyes off the
Speaker 1: battle before him. He finally felt the rocky seat he
Speaker 1: sought and collapsed, using the boulder's edge to support his
Speaker 1: trembling arms.
Speaker 6: I'm not sure how will last much longer and hor.
Speaker 1: Tore their eyes away from the battle. They saw Moses
Speaker 1: waver and then turned back to see the battle's tides shift.
Speaker 1: They immediately realized what was happening. The momentum of the
Speaker 1: battle was dependent on moses resolve. Aaron rushed to his
Speaker 1: brother and wrapped his arms around.
Speaker 9: His old, steady little brother.
Speaker 2: I've got you.
Speaker 1: Flashes of Moses as a babe came rushing back to him,
Speaker 1: he remembered holding his trembling body. That fateful night, when
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's men had come, Aaron's throat clenched and his chest
Speaker 1: tightened At the memory, he squeezed his brother, as if
Speaker 1: trying to somehow give him his strength. Hul came to
Speaker 1: his uncle's side as well and took the other arm.
Speaker 1: Each one took an arm and assisted Moses in keeping
Speaker 1: the staff raised above his head. With their combined strength,
Speaker 1: the staff was hoisted back in the air, and how
Speaker 1: Shier was able to coordinate another successful striking. The Israelites
Speaker 1: stepped over their fallen brothers and enemies, threw themselves against shields, spears,
Speaker 1: and swords, and somehow prevailed. The ground was slick with
Speaker 1: blood and god, but their steps were.
Speaker 7: Shut and their enemy was true.
Speaker 1: The three men held the staff steady together until the
Speaker 1: sun eventually went down, and the very last only salt
Speaker 1: was thrown down. The last light of the day was
Speaker 1: slipping over the ridge. Hoshiar slew a final enemy with
Speaker 1: a side swipe of his sword to the leg, then
Speaker 1: a sudden jab upward to the throat. The enemy fell.
Speaker 1: Then Hoshier whirled around and raised his sword above his
Speaker 1: head to strike whoever was behind him. He paused as
Speaker 1: he discovered it was only the man from the tribe
Speaker 1: of Judah standing before him, hands raised deadly.
Speaker 8: They're all dead.
Speaker 2: We won.
Speaker 1: Hoshier loosed a shaky sigh, lowered his sword, and surveyed
Speaker 1: the ground around him. The man was right. Hoshier stood
Speaker 1: in the middle of a lopsided, rough half circle of
Speaker 1: battered bodies. A haze of frenzied blood lust Hoshier had
Speaker 1: not known existed within him lifted as he took in
Speaker 1: the horror of the battlefield. He still held the sword
Speaker 1: he had started with, but it was now stained crimson,
Speaker 1: with chunks of gore stuck to the edges. He surveyed
Speaker 1: the slain enemies around him, then looked beyond and saw
Speaker 1: similar piles around his countrymen. In irregular intervals. Carrion birds
Speaker 1: were already feasting on the bodies on the tops of
Speaker 1: the piles on the outskirts of the battle. Hoshier's knees
Speaker 1: suddenly gave out, and he pitched forward. His companion ran
Speaker 1: forward to aid him, but Hoshier feebly waved him back
Speaker 1: just in time to spare him from the vomit that
Speaker 1: spewed from his mouth. The man of Judah laughed as
Speaker 1: he clasped on his shoulders and hoisted him to his feet.
Speaker 8: You'll let us well, my friend, with courage far beyond
Speaker 8: your years or experience. None of us has experienced anything
Speaker 8: like this before. So wonder you held your stomach this long.
Speaker 8: I was sick myself before the battle even began. Thought
Speaker 8: I might as well get it out of the way
Speaker 8: so no one slipped on it on the field.
Speaker 1: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Sorry, I forget my manners.
Speaker 8: The name's Caleb, son of Jeffany.
Speaker 7: Thank you, Caleb, son of Jeffuny. I am Joseiah, son
Speaker 7: of Nan.
Speaker 8: Pleased to meet you, and even more please to share
Speaker 8: this victory with you. Ah, it looks like the prophet
Speaker 8: is summoning you.
Speaker 1: Ho Shia turned to look where Caleb gestured. Moses was
Speaker 1: standing on the edge of the field, waiting for Hoshier.
Speaker 1: He patted Caleb on the back by way of thanks,
Speaker 1: and took his leave. Hoshier approached Moses and saw that
Speaker 1: Aaron and her were near by, but respectfully out of earshot,
Speaker 1: so Moses could address Hoshier privately.
Speaker 6: Ah, Hoshe, my son, you did everything I asked of you.
Speaker 1: You did well, thank you, Moses.
Speaker 7: That means a great deal coming from you.
Speaker 3: As much as it grieves me to say this, I
Speaker 3: do not believe this battle would be the last of
Speaker 3: its kind. We have yet to cross into the Promised
Speaker 3: Land and have already met opposition, and the land itself
Speaker 3: is undoubtedly occupied by similar tribes and a chiefdoms. I
Speaker 3: went to battle with my brothers in Egypt once or twice. However,
Speaker 3: I'm afraid age would keep me from leading the young
Speaker 3: men against our enemies. I'd have you lead the armies
Speaker 3: to me. Hoshea, stand by my side, learn from me.
Speaker 7: You honor me, Lord Moses.
Speaker 3: You have an obedient and faithful spirit.
Speaker 6: With such a spirit, there's no limit to what you can.
Speaker 3: Do on behalf of God and for our people come.
Speaker 3: How have you walk with me? I've ensured that the
Speaker 3: events of today have been recorded. It's important that you
Speaker 3: remember what our God did today. You'll need to remember
Speaker 3: this when the days again get hard and hope was scarce.
Speaker 7: Yes, Sir, I will remember.
Speaker 5: What a profound and stirring episode. The image of Moses,
Speaker 5: his arms raised, standing as a beacon of hope and strength.
Speaker 5: Sence shivers down in my spine. How he remained so steadfast,
Speaker 5: supported by Aaron and Whoror speaks to the power of community,
Speaker 5: of unwavering support and the face of adversity. It's a
Speaker 5: reminder that our battles, both physical and spiritual, are never
Speaker 5: fought alone. We stand on the shoulders of those who
Speaker 5: came before us, upheld by the strength of our ancestors
Speaker 5: and the presence of God. And seeing God's hand at
Speaker 5: work through his people's faithfulness gives me a renewed sense
Speaker 5: of courage and commitment to face my own struggles. Like Moses,
Speaker 5: we are each part of a story that is so
Speaker 5: much larger than ourselves. And I'll talk about Moses in
Speaker 5: a minute, but first let's talk about Amalek. In this story,
Speaker 5: the tribe of Amalik carried out a sneak attack on
Speaker 5: the Israelites for no rhyme or reason. Jewish tradition sees
Speaker 5: Amalik and its descendants as the epitome of evil, opposing
Speaker 5: the chosen people who stand for good, and so Amalik
Speaker 5: and its descendants are seen as the originators of anti Semitism,
Speaker 5: the baseless hatred of the Jewish people that we have
Speaker 5: seen throughout itty and that still we sadly see today.
Speaker 5: The great sage and Bible commentator Rashi says something very interesting.
Speaker 5: Rashi points out that once the world saw the miracles
Speaker 5: and wonders that God performed for the Jewish people, no
Speaker 5: nation dared attack us, seeing us is protected by the
Speaker 5: power of God. But the one exception was Amlek. This
Speaker 5: is like when someone jumps into a tub of scalding water,
Speaker 5: hot water that no one in the right mind would
Speaker 5: jump into, and that person gets burned, but by jumping in,
Speaker 5: he cools off the water, so now no one is
Speaker 5: afraid to jump in anymore. Amlek attacked the Chosen people
Speaker 5: even though amlek knew of God's relationship with us and
Speaker 5: of God's protective power, and now with the water cooled off,
Speaker 5: other nations didn't hesitate to attack us. And so it
Speaker 5: is with the anti Semitism we still see growing and
Speaker 5: spreading today. All the enemies of Israel were eventually wiped out,
Speaker 5: leaving the Jewish people to stand tall, and yet the
Speaker 5: enemies of Israel don't learn their lesson. But I am
Speaker 5: proud to say that are millions of Christian friends around
Speaker 5: the world stand with us and against anti Semitism. It's
Speaker 5: something all of us here at the Fellowship and in
Speaker 5: Israel recognize, look at us sacred, and we appreciate so
Speaker 5: very very much. It is something holy Jews and Christian
Speaker 5: standing together. And then here in verse fourteen, we find
Speaker 5: a wonderful promise from God. He promises, quote, I will
Speaker 5: completely blot out the name of Amalek from under the
Speaker 5: heavens end quote We don't know when this will be,
Speaker 5: but because God promised it, we know it will be.
Speaker 5: Evil will be destroyed and good will prevail. So what
Speaker 5: can we glean from this story of Moses, his uplifted
Speaker 5: hands and the battle against Amalek. Well, first, let's consider
Speaker 5: the act of raising hands in prayer. According to Jewish tradition,
Speaker 5: this physical gesture is more than symbolic. It's a conduit
Speaker 5: for divine energy. Moses's hands lifted towards the heavens, created
Speaker 5: a spiritual bridge that channeled God's power into the physical world. Moses,
Speaker 5: standing with his hands raised, became a vessel for God's strength,
Speaker 5: showing us that divine assistance flows through human action intertwined
Speaker 5: with faith. You see, what I learned from the story
Speaker 5: is that when we lift our hands in prayer, we
Speaker 5: are tapping into a profound spiritual truth that we are
Speaker 5: conduits for God's will and his presence in this world
Speaker 5: that he uses us prayers. Moses's actions show us isn't
Speaker 5: just about expressing our needs, also about aligning ourselves with
Speaker 5: God's purpose, finding our way to him, and drawing His
Speaker 5: blessings into our lives. This story also teaches us the
Speaker 5: importance of perseverance in prayer. Moses's hands grew weary and
Speaker 5: he needed the support of Aaron and Who to keep
Speaker 5: them raised. Isn't it true that in our lives we
Speaker 5: also sometimes grow weary. We need community, friends and family
Speaker 5: to support us, to help keep our hands lifted when
Speaker 5: we feel like we just can't go on. As we
Speaker 5: face the amalik in our lives, those forces that seek
Speaker 5: to bring us down, Let's remember the hands of Moses
Speaker 5: and let's lift our hearts, our hands, and our voices,
Speaker 5: knowing that we are not alone. God fights for us,
Speaker 5: and with his help we can overcome any obstacle. So
Speaker 5: when you face your battles, big or small, take a
Speaker 5: moment to lift your hands, reach out to God, seek
Speaker 5: his strength, and trust that with him you can provail.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made
Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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