WEBVTT - The Lord Face-to-Face 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.239 Previously on the chosen people. 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:08.200 Go down at once. Your people, whom you brought up 0:00:08.240 --> 0:00:13.200 from Egypt did corruptly. They have quickly turned away from 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:17.919 the way I commanded them, making an image of the 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:19.520 golden calf. 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:24.600 Moses thoughts raised, but in his shock he lost all control. 0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:29.400 Now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:30.680 against them. 0:00:30.920 --> 0:00:35.560 My God, why does your anger burn against your people? 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:39.600 The ones you brought out of Egypt were with great 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:43.600 power and a strong hand. Why should the Egyptians say 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:45.599 he brought them out only to kill them in the 0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:49.639 mountains and erase them from the earth. Turn from your 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:55.200 fierce finger. Relent this disaster plan for your own. Remember 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:59.600 your servants, Abraham, Isaac Israel. 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:04.120 You swore to them, I will make your offspring as 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:06.600 numerous as the stars, and give them this land to 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:07.360 inherit forever. 0:01:07.480 --> 0:01:08.200 Do you remember. 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:12.679 Moses marched down and shoved his way through the crowd. 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:15.640 He stepped up to the altar and peered down at 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.880 the pathetic golden idol they had made for themselves. Moses 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:24.000 spat on it. People gasped, turning them another violent shout 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:28.759 from Moses. He held up the idol to them. 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:31.560 This is what you've replaced the lord with a three 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:36.520 foot tall cow. The god who hearted sees and set 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:39.680 fire down from heaven replaced by a bovine that could 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:41.039 fit the child's napsack. 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:46.000 You know how they get when they're anxious. They came 0:01:46.040 --> 0:01:48.880 to me saying, make gods for us to read us, 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:52.360 because as for Moses, who brought us out of Egypt, 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:54.640 we don't know what's happened to him. 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:59.680 Now listen carefully, this is what our God, the god 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:05.120 of this, he says. Every man, fasten his sword side, 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:11.160 go back and fol throughout the camp, from entrance to entrance, 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:16.079 and each of you kill his brother, his friend, and 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:16.760 his neighbor. 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:25.840 Now, if you would only forgive their sin. But if not, 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:30.880 please erase me and the book he written. 0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:35.280 The way of failure plagued him. If he couldn't teach 0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:38.240 or lead these people in God's ways, he would rather 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:40.600 die than watch their downfall and shame. 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:46.280 Finally, the answer came, whoever has sinned against me, I 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:51.640 will erase from my book. Loud, go lead the people 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:55.320 to the place I told you about. Ah, he will 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:59.240 go before you. But on the day I said to accounts, 0:03:00.120 --> 0:03:03.480 I will hold them comfortable for their sin. 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:17.880 Who would dare ask God to change his mind? Who 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:21.160 is brave enough to stand before the Almighty and ask 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:24.360 him to bend sell O, my friends from here in 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:27.119 the Holy Land, I'm ya l Exstein with the International 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:31.240 Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Welcome to the Chosen People. 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:35.000 Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible, 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:38.400 stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:42.360 meaning of life. Through Israel story, we find this truth 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:46.640 that we are all chosen for something great. While we 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:50.240 know these stories offer something to you, it never ceases 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:53.520 to amaze and bless us that you would tune in 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:57.480 here every single day to learn together with me, these 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:01.880 ancient stories that continue to inspire us today. So from 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.480 the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much. Now 0:04:05.800 --> 0:04:11.040 let's begin In the cool shadow of Mount Sinai. The 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:14.920 Chosen People are encamped in the wilderness, having received the Torah, 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.799 a covenant meant to bind them to their creator. Yet 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:22.200 a grave mistake has been made. A golden calf was 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:26.120 fashioned in the absence of Moses, their leader, leading to 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:32.240 divine wrath that threatened to consume them. Now Moses seeks 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:33.880 God's favor once more. 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:41.520 Zippora shivered under the woolen blanket, fairly able to keep 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:47.920 her eyes open. Moses stroked her hair, chin quivering, eyes 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:52.920 swollen from tears, Zipporah raised a trembling hand to his 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:54.040 and kissed it. 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:58.120 Don't you have people to attend to. 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:00.719 I'm right where to be. 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:02.760 With you. 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:07.960 I'm glad to have you to myself for one last time. 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:12.120 Moses winced and dipped his head to meet hers. He 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:15.800 closed his eyes and imagined life with her back in medium, 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:21.120 tending to sheep, gazing at the stars, dancing by the fire. 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:28.320 So much had changed, brilliant miracles and terrible tragedies. The 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:32.200 plague had chipped away at their numbers significantly. There was 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:35.080 scarcely a family to be found among them who had 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:39.480 not been affected. God's words of warning still echoed in 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:40.360 Moses's head. 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:45.120 Whoever gives me I my book? 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:51.760 Oh who were come to Moses did not know what 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:55.280 the future held for his people, or if more were 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:58.360 still yet to die for their crimes, or even when, 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.440 But this much was clear. He was to lead them 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:06.400 whoever their God kept alive and placed under his care 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:07.720 for however long. 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:14.200 Even after this, I am glad. I came here to 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:18.919 witness the leader you've become. It's been like falling in 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.120 love with you all over again. 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:27.320 You're a good leader, Moses, and you are the greatest 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:29.680 wife a man could ask for. 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:33.159 Oh, I know you were blessed to find me. 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:35.960 I will miss you, Zipporah. 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:40.680 Zipporah's hand went slack in his, and the light in 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:46.279 her eyes became dim. She was gone, and Moses never 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:54.560 felt more alone. Moses stood before the people, palms sweaty 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:57.919 and shifting his weight between his two feet. What he 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:00.280 had to tell them would not be easy to here. 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:05.040 Moses had again answered their God's summons and sought him 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:08.600 on the mountain side. He now had the difficult task 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:11.119 of telling them that their God indeed had a further 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.680 punishment for them, another consequence of their betrayal. 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:19.920 I have again been before our God, and I have 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:23.880 a message for you all to hear. He told me 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:27.400 that we will go to the borders of Canaan, the 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:30.880 land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:35.080 The people were hanging on his every word. They seemed 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:37.960 to sense that there was more a catch to this 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:40.360 reminder of their claim on the promised land. 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:43.800 He said he would send an angel ahead of me 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:50.280 and would drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Heathites, Perizites, Heavites, 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:55.080 and Jebusites. We are to go to a land flowing 0:07:55.280 --> 0:08:01.360 with milk and honey. But our God will not go 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:02.520 up with us. 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:03.960 He said. 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.640 He will not go with us because you are a 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:12.440 stiff necked people. He said that otherwise he might destroy 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:14.840 you on the way abandonment. 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:19.280 That was the message Roses just delivered to his people. 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:23.080 They were still able to continue on to the promised land, 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:25.680 but they would be forced to do so without the 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:29.760 presence of their God. His heart was heavy and burdened 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:33.160 because he knew they would never succeed apart from their God. 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.200 Would the people stay united or committed to their mission? 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:41.520 Left to their devices, They had already made so many mistakes. 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:45.920 They had complained around every corner. They had often pined 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:48.920 for the slavery in Egypt, and that was before the 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.640 disloyalty they had displayed with the Golden Calf. 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:55.920 This is what our God has told me to tell you. 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:02.880 He said, to take off your jewelry and mourn. Do this, 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.320 and he will decide what to do with you next. 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.560 The crowd wailed and keened the grief that struck them 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:16.160 as earnest. They did indeed take off their ornamentation and dispersed, defeated, 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:23.760 to mourn in their tents. Ho Sheer felt more alone 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:26.640 than he had ever felt as he stood and listened 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.600 to Moses addressed the crowd. When he shut out his feelings, 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:34.920 Hoshier could understand, as he knew Moses did, that they 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:41.199 had all fallen short, whether negligently, passively or actively, they 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:45.400 had all erred grievously before their God and his commandments 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:49.720 for their people. Suddenly, a voice calling his name returned 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:51.079 his attention to the present. 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:52.480 Oh Sheya. 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:57.319 It was his friend Caleb who approached him. He smiled 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:00.880 weakly at him. It was a bleak day, but at 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:03.600 least he had one friend he knew was innocent of 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:05.000 what had grieved their God. 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:08.880 Now, hoche, Lord Moses sent me to come and find you. 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:11.040 He said, he needs your help in setting up a 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:15.320 new tent. A new tent, that's what he said. And 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:18.440 it looks like almost everyone has gone home to mourn. 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.720 You want me to lend a hand the work. We'll 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:24.240 go faster with the three of us, and we could 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:25.520 find more along the way. 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:30.160 O Sheer grinned again in earnest. This time he knew 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:32.839 no one else who could keep their spirits high even 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:34.800 in the most dire circumstances. 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.559 That's a great idea. Let's go see Moses in this 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:38.840 task he has for us. 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:42.640 The two men found Moses a short while later, and 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:45.200 he had already recruited a few more men to help 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:48.280 him erect a tent. The space he selected for the 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.240 tent was a distance from the camp. The camp was 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.640 in the opposite direction of the makeshift cemetery, but also 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:57.080 a ways away from the foot of the mountain where 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:01.199 the Lord had dwelt. The men worked a fishing stretching 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:04.679 and tying the material between the wooden poles, something they 0:11:04.679 --> 0:11:07.920 had done countless times and would surely do countless more 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:12.040 times as their sojourn continued through the desert. When at 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:15.880 last they stood back and admired their work, Hosher wondered 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:19.480 what the significance of the lone tent was. It didn't 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:23.480 appear to have any particular purpose or adornment, and Moses 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.719 already had a dwelling within the camp. Surely no one 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:30.720 would live out here alone. Moses stepped forward to fiddle 0:11:30.760 --> 0:11:34.800 with the entryway flag. Especially after recent events, no one 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:37.760 seemed keen to break the silence or question their leader. 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:42.800 At last, Moses seemed satisfied with their work. He clapped 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.400 his hands and brushed the dust off his tunic. 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:51.880 Ah, thank you, my brothers, now spread the word among 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:56.200 the camp. This place is to be called the Tent 0:11:56.559 --> 0:12:01.160 of Meeting. Anyone who wants to consult our God to 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:04.480 seek spiritual counsel can do so here. 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:08.880 Ho Shea was amazed at Moses. Here he was attempting 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:13.360 to rekindle the broken relationship with their God. He understood 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:15.600 that Moses was trying to make the presence of the 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:19.680 Lord accessible again. This was what a true priest did. 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:23.160 The heart of a true priest always sought to bring 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:27.280 the people closer to the Lord. Hoshier wondered if anyone 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:31.400 would be courageous enough to enter the Tent of Meeting 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:39.760 A tent of meeting. Aaron scratched his bearded chin and 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:44.600 considered its purpose. Moses was setting up a holy sanctuary 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:48.640 outside of the camp. Aaron murmured to himself. 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:53.120 A sanctuary for our God. How is that any different 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:55.120 from all the foreign gods of the desert. 0:12:55.520 --> 0:12:58.720 Aaron dared not say this with an ear shot of Moses. 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:03.000 Their relation had been fraught since the Golden Calf incident. 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:07.000 Aaron was embarrassed and forlorn, but he had to admit 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:09.520 that he was a little sour that he and Moses 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:10.679 had not reconciled. 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:11.040 Yet. 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.600 He knew that God had conveyed to Moses that Aaron 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.560 and his sons would be set aside and instructed as 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.840 a priestly order, but he had yet to disclose whatever 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:25.000 details he had received on the mountain top. The first 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:28.960 time Aaron saw Moses enter the tent of meeting, hope 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:32.600 was rekindled in his heart. He had never seen anything 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:36.360 quite like it. Moses would walk out to the remote tent, 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:39.520 away from the rest of the camp, and people would 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.440 stand at the entryways to their own tents to observe. 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:46.760 Moses would enter the tent, and the pillar of cloud, 0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:49.319 just like the one that guided them through the desert 0:13:49.600 --> 0:13:52.880 after they escaped from Egypt, would come down and remain 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.640 with the entrance to the tent. Moses would speak with 0:13:56.760 --> 0:13:59.560 their God inside the tent, just as he had done 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:03.839 on the mounts. It was truly remarkable. No one else 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:07.080 dared approach, But when they beheld the sight of the 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.440 far off tent, they would bow in worship and reverence. 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:16.240 Aaron included, understanding now better than ever how holy and 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:20.880 mighty their God was. He dared go no closer, especially 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:22.920 in light of the ways that he had failed. The 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:28.880 people failed, his nephew her and his sister Miriam failed Moses. 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:35.200 Moses was in the tent of meeting, as he had 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.400 been every day since he set it up. He knew 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:42.560 that eventually the tabernacle would be constructed and serve as 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:46.240 a more permanent place of meeting with their God, but 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:48.840 he had yet to reveal the plans to the people. 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:52.440 The children of Israel would timidly bring him matters to 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:55.760 present to their God or ask him to seek counsel 0:14:55.840 --> 0:15:00.800 on their behalf. It was a start. Moses felt satisfied 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:04.600 that this was the first step toward a reconciliation between 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:08.040 the people and their God. He was relieved that the 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:11.480 grieving and mourning at the loss of God's presence appeared 0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:15.640 to be genuine another good start. He would also try 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:19.400 to make more progress to day. Moses refused to give 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.440 up on his people and his mission. The pillar of 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:25.800 smoke was swirling and swaying in powerful gusts at the 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:29.840 front of the tent. Moses spoke to it, but not 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:33.000 as one would in a hallowed temple or priestly hall. 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:36.920 Moses talked to the Lord as one would to a friend. 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:43.240 You keep reminding me of how close we are, you said, 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.440 I know you by name, and you've also found favor 0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:53.160 with me. But if I have found favor with you, 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:58.280 I need to know more about you. Teach me your ways, 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:02.280 tell me more about how. 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:07.960 To lead these people, Your people, my people. They have 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:09.480 become my people. 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:10.680 At long last. 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:15.280 You reunited me with my very heritage. 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:21.120 Please don't let all this be for nothing. My fate 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.960 is tied to their success. 0:16:24.840 --> 0:16:25.720 Or their failure. 0:16:25.920 --> 0:16:34.240 Please don't rip away my identity, our identity as your people. 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:39.760 There was a long, lingering pause between them. Moses listened 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:45.840 for the lord's response. He waited, he yearned. Instead, there 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:50.880 was silence, as if the Lord was contemplating something. Moses 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:53.680 took the silence as a cue to continue. 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.240 Well, will you really give us the lamb? But remove 0:16:56.280 --> 0:17:00.560 your presence? What good is that? What good is the 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:06.320 promised land? Without you? You could give us mountains of 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:10.359 gold and ivory, palaces laced with silver. 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:14.680 But what would it matter. I've lived in the palaces 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:15.240 of Egypt. 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:20.200 I've slept in silk sheets, with my servants at my command. 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:24.760 I've bathed in rose petals with cups of wine flowing 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:34.080 without end. But each day the desert with you is 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:38.680 better than a lifetime in paradise without you. 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:40.200 You are why we are free. 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:44.159 You, you are why we have survived. 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:47.440 You're the one we made. 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:53.560 Your presence Moses waited with baited breath for his God's answer. 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:57.679 He was determined he would camp here and advocate for 0:17:57.720 --> 0:17:59.359 the people for as long as it took. 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:06.440 I have considered all that you have said and all 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:11.720 the people have done, and my presence will go with you, 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.159 and I will give you rest. 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:19.040 Will you be with all your people, not just me, 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:23.000 for we belong to know? For God, ay, you. 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:26.119 Will do this very thing that you have asked for. 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:30.520 You have found favor with me, and I know you 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:34.160 by name for a second time. 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:39.239 Relief washed over Moses. Encouraged by the affirmation of the 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:43.399 favor he had from his God, he found himself feeling emboldened, 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:47.160 bold enough to ask something he had never asked before, 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:51.840 something he had wandered and contemplated since that moment. Beside 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:52.960 a burning bush. 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:57.000 Please let me see your glory. 0:18:57.359 --> 0:19:01.800 Moses could sense the satisfaction coming off the pillar before him. 0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:05.120 He seemed to have passed this test. 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:09.320 I will cause all my goodness to pass in front 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:14.040 of you and proclaim my true name your way before you. 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:18.280 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, 0:19:18.760 --> 0:19:23.960 and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:28.080 Moses was amazed that his God was going to grant 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:33.520 his request. But the name Yahweh, what was that? It 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:37.600 was more than a title, more than a designation. He 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:41.600 knew his God was the god of his ancestors, Abraham, 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.200 Isaac and Jacob. And when he asked his name before 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:48.480 the burning bush, the name that was spoken was I 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:52.359 am who I Am. The name represented not only his 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:57.840 everlasting nature, but also his presence. The presence Moses and 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:02.480 his people so desperately sought community with their God was 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:06.280 what set them apart from all other nations. A God 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:11.840 who would call them his his holy nation, his priesthood, 0:20:12.480 --> 0:20:15.879 a bond so special and unique that he would go 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:20.560 before them and protect and provide, even enter into an 0:20:20.560 --> 0:20:26.280 everlasting covenant with them, as everlasting as his name, if 0:20:26.400 --> 0:20:31.560 only they would return to their obedience. Moses heart soared. 0:20:32.760 --> 0:20:36.600 But you cannot see my face, for humans cannot see 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:38.080 me and live. 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:43.000 Moses's heart fell. He could die from the sight of 0:20:43.040 --> 0:20:46.840 his God. He had indeed covered his face in fear 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:50.640 in their first meeting, and on the mountain he could 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:53.800 only take in the bottom of his God's glorious throne. 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:57.720 But Moses had somehow hoped that perhaps he was ready now, 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:01.000 perhaps he would be able to go limps the glory 0:21:01.040 --> 0:21:05.280 of their God. They talked every day. He just wanted 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:09.240 to see what he looked like. He longed to understand. 0:21:10.000 --> 0:21:12.399 He wanted to know his God more fully. 0:21:12.840 --> 0:21:16.560 But I will make it so. My glory will pass 0:21:16.640 --> 0:21:21.640 before you. You will see my glory and know my name. 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:23.840 Come to me tomorrow. 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:28.560 On the mountain, Moses stared at the pillar before him 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:33.680 in awe. Tomorrow he would see the glory of his God, 0:21:34.440 --> 0:21:38.720 and he would finally learn his name, his true name. 0:21:44.600 --> 0:21:47.520 Of all the challenges to faith, none may be more 0:21:47.560 --> 0:21:52.280 powerful than suffering. I've heard countless stories over the years, 0:21:52.359 --> 0:21:57.119 tales of heart shattered, faith abandoned, the face of unexplainable, 0:21:57.200 --> 0:22:02.280 seemingly unjustified suffering. Many Jews who survived the horrors of 0:22:02.320 --> 0:22:07.720 the Holocaust felt this anguish deeply. They asked how could 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:13.040 God allow such evil? While, according to our tradition, Moses, 0:22:13.080 --> 0:22:16.439 when he spoke to God face to face, dared to 0:22:16.600 --> 0:22:21.399 ask this very profound question. He sought to understand why 0:22:21.440 --> 0:22:26.200 the righteous suffer? But God and his infinite wisdom replied 0:22:26.240 --> 0:22:28.720 that this was one of the answers that even Moses 0:22:28.800 --> 0:22:33.520 couldn't know. If Moses, the greatest of all prophets, couldn't 0:22:33.600 --> 0:22:38.600 grasp this mystery, how can we hope to explain it? 0:22:39.440 --> 0:22:42.400 But even in our limited understanding, we can find meaning 0:22:42.480 --> 0:22:46.199 in how we and others respond to suffering. In the 0:22:46.240 --> 0:22:49.280 opening verse of Psalm twenty two, King David voices the 0:22:49.320 --> 0:22:53.280 same question, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:56.600 Why are you so far from saving me? So far 0:22:56.640 --> 0:22:58.840 from my cries of anguish? 0:22:58.960 --> 0:22:59.600 He asks? 0:23:00.359 --> 0:23:04.080 But David doesn't lose faith. Instead, he reflects on the 0:23:04.160 --> 0:23:09.879 generations before him who suffered and were saved. He reaffirms 0:23:09.920 --> 0:23:13.480 his trust in God even as his enemies mock him, 0:23:14.000 --> 0:23:16.960 And then, towards the end of some David in visions 0:23:17.440 --> 0:23:21.680 a future where the world witnesses how God has saved 0:23:21.720 --> 0:23:26.919 his people and praises and worships him. These are the 0:23:26.960 --> 0:23:31.320 words that King David wrote, and that we read still today. 0:23:31.680 --> 0:23:34.720 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn 0:23:34.800 --> 0:23:37.680 to the Lord, and all the families of the nations 0:23:37.720 --> 0:23:42.119 will bow down before him, For dominion belongs to the Lord, 0:23:42.440 --> 0:23:47.000 and he rules over the nations. David didn't receive an 0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:49.600 answer to why he and his people suffered, but he 0:23:49.680 --> 0:23:53.160 found meaning and purpose and the redemption from that suffering. 0:23:53.920 --> 0:23:58.200 Maybe that's part of the answering to suffering. Maybe without suffering, 0:23:58.200 --> 0:24:01.760 there would be no redemption. In our pain, we find 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:06.080 the seeds of our deliverance. In our anguish, we encounter 0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:11.439 the possibility of grace. There is another teaching from Jewish 0:24:11.440 --> 0:24:14.400 tradition they want to touch on. Let's look to the Bible. 0:24:15.080 --> 0:24:18.199 After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses moved, he 0:24:18.440 --> 0:24:23.720 changed his physical location. Verse seven tells us now Moses 0:24:23.840 --> 0:24:25.960 used to take a tent and pitch it outside the 0:24:26.040 --> 0:24:29.960 camp some distance away, calling it the tent of meeting. 0:24:30.520 --> 0:24:33.560 Anyone who inquired of the Lord would go to the 0:24:33.640 --> 0:24:37.520 tent of meeting. Outside the camp. The Jewish age has 0:24:37.560 --> 0:24:41.399 noticed something very strange about this verse. First, it tells 0:24:41.480 --> 0:24:45.119 us that Moses pitched his tent outside the camp, but 0:24:45.359 --> 0:24:48.919 then it tells us that anyone inquiring of the Lord 0:24:49.040 --> 0:24:52.200 would go to that tent. Well, if the Israelites were 0:24:52.240 --> 0:24:54.399 looking for God, why did they need to go to 0:24:54.440 --> 0:24:58.480 see Moses. Our tradition suggest that this teaches us that 0:24:58.640 --> 0:25:02.840 anyone who is the source of God's word is called 0:25:03.160 --> 0:25:07.119 by the name of God. This is very interesting because 0:25:07.160 --> 0:25:10.280 we know that as great as Moses was, he was 0:25:10.320 --> 0:25:14.919 a human being. He was born, he lived, he died. 0:25:15.520 --> 0:25:20.879 Moses was not God, but the word of God was 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:24.920 so present with Moses that he deserved to be called 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:30.320 by God's name. As this verse expresses, you know, none 0:25:30.320 --> 0:25:34.000 of us is Moses, that's for sure, But here we 0:25:34.080 --> 0:25:39.440 are studying God's word and maybe even teaching others what 0:25:39.480 --> 0:25:44.320 we've learned. Maybe what this verse means is that we 0:25:45.080 --> 0:25:49.119 and anyone who has heard and studies God's word and 0:25:49.160 --> 0:25:53.080 who shapes their life according to God's word, can be 0:25:53.160 --> 0:25:58.440 called by the name of God himself. At the heart 0:25:58.480 --> 0:26:02.640 of the stories the nature of suffering and redemption, Moses's 0:26:02.760 --> 0:26:07.080 intimate dialogue with God reveals two things, the limitations of 0:26:07.119 --> 0:26:12.040 our own human understanding and the boundless depths of God's 0:26:12.080 --> 0:26:18.120 divine wisdom. When Moses asked why the righteous suffer, God's 0:26:18.160 --> 0:26:23.199 response was a reminder that some mysteries transcend our grasp. 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:26.600 This isn't a dismissal of our pain, but an invitation 0:26:27.400 --> 0:26:30.680 to trust in a wisdom that's even greater than our own. 0:26:31.400 --> 0:26:35.000 That when we experience suffering, we have to keep our 0:26:35.080 --> 0:26:38.639 heads above the water, not to drowned by holding on 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:42.760 too God and God's word. Jewish tradition teaches that suffering 0:26:42.800 --> 0:26:47.560