Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. Songs for deliverance fell upon
Speaker 1: the dust and pitch they worked in. Desperately, they sang
Speaker 1: to their God, appealing the promises he made their ancestors.
Speaker 1: The stars above seemed fixed in their indifference, and the
Speaker 1: nile flowed on, dark and unyielding. And yet in the
Speaker 1: hearts of Aaron and Miriam, a flicker of hope remained.
Speaker 1: For they knew that somewhere, beyond the veil of the
Speaker 1: scene and the unseen, beyond the power of pharaohs and
Speaker 1: the gods of Egypt, there was a god who listened,
Speaker 1: a God.
Speaker 2: Who remembered Moses.
Speaker 1: He turned a final corner and stopped his breath, stolen
Speaker 1: from his lungs. Before him was a tree, but not
Speaker 1: as any tree he had scene. It was engulfed in flames,
Speaker 1: a great burning bush that flared with a fierce, unnatural fire.
Speaker 3: Here I am.
Speaker 2: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt.
Speaker 2: I have heard their cries and beheld their suffering. I
Speaker 2: have come to deliver them out of slavery and carry
Speaker 2: them to a land of promise, a vast and vibrant
Speaker 2: land heaving with life, a land flowing with milk and.
Speaker 3: Honey, so you will still send me.
Speaker 2: Take the staff in your hands and go. Go and
Speaker 2: behold my wonders. I shall be with you.
Speaker 1: And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the flame vanished,
Speaker 1: leaving nothing but the cool, empty air of the Kenyon.
Speaker 1: Moses was left standing alone, his heart heavy with both
Speaker 1: awe and dread. The memory of the encounter etched into
Speaker 1: his soul. He knew then that his life would never
Speaker 1: be the same again.
Speaker 4: When the divine voice whispers from the fire, will you
Speaker 4: have the courage to listen, to follow, to believe? Have
Speaker 4: you ever felt wholly unprepared for the task at hand?
Speaker 4: This week's episode finds Moses at a critical moment, facing
Speaker 4: his divine calling with trepidation. The Israelites, bound in slavery
Speaker 4: under Pharaoh's cruel reign, cry out for deliverance. Born among them,
Speaker 4: Moses is saved by the waters of denial, raised an
Speaker 4: Egyptian luxury, yet marked for even a purpose. After fleeing
Speaker 4: to the wilderness for his rash act of justice, he
Speaker 4: encounters God in the burning bush. God's voice commands him
Speaker 4: to return and liberate his people, but Moses hesitates. Plagued
Speaker 4: by doubt and fear, and we ask ourselves, can God
Speaker 4: use our flaws two to bring about freedom?
Speaker 1: Moses made his way back down the rocky path, his
Speaker 1: wayward lamb held firmly at his side. The sun had
Speaker 1: only just begun to ascend its first rays, stretching over
Speaker 1: the valley, painting the green plains in a wash of
Speaker 1: gold and namber. Yet this morning sunrise seemed pale and
Speaker 1: unremarkable to Moses. How could it compare to the searing
Speaker 1: brilliance of the burning bush. Moses gripped his hat tightly
Speaker 1: with one hand, his knuckles whitening, while with the other
Speaker 1: he released the lamb. It trotted back to its mother,
Speaker 1: oblivious to the divine encounter that had just taken place.
Speaker 1: Moses felt changed, transformed by his encounter with Ayam. He
Speaker 1: had once thought his life's course was set. He would
Speaker 1: herd sheep with his son's grow old alongside Zipporah, and
Speaker 1: eventually have his bones buried in Median's quiet soil. But
Speaker 1: such notions now seem childish. How could he return to
Speaker 1: that mundane existence after standing in the presence of the divine,
Speaker 1: after being given such a calling? How could he ignore
Speaker 1: the weight that now hung around his neck like a chain.
Speaker 3: Nothing will ever be the same.
Speaker 1: His hand absently ran through his short, graying hair as
Speaker 1: he looked out over the valley. The Medianite encampment stood
Speaker 1: like a blemish against the desert's vastness. Smoke from cooking
Speaker 1: fires curled up into the sky, and the faint sounds
Speaker 1: of life, children's laughter, the lowing of cattle, and the
Speaker 1: hum of daily chores carried on the wind. He would
Speaker 1: miss this place, he realized, he would miss the slow,
Speaker 1: steady rhythm of a shepherd's life and the simple love
Speaker 1: he had found in his wife and children. The thought
Speaker 1: of leaving it all behind gnawed at him. He hadn't
Speaker 1: even started his quest, and he was already pining after
Speaker 1: the life he'd lost.
Speaker 3: Why me, Lord, Why?
Speaker 1: But there was only silence. Moses sighed, stealed his resolve,
Speaker 1: and continued his descent back to camp. Moses walked into
Speaker 1: the camp. His steps were heavy and his brow furrowed,
Speaker 1: as if he bore the weight of the world on
Speaker 1: his shoulders. A swirl of emotions, fear, excitement, dread coursed
Speaker 1: through him, and it must have been plainly etched on
Speaker 1: his face. For Jethro greeted him with a bemused look.
Speaker 5: Now there's the look of a man who's seen a ghost.
Speaker 5: What's happened, my son?
Speaker 1: Moses pursed his lips, struggling to find the right words.
Speaker 1: How could he convey the enormity of what he had witnessed.
Speaker 1: Jethro's keen eyes studied him, his expression shifting from amusement
Speaker 1: to concern.
Speaker 5: Moses, I, I know you are not an eloquent man.
Speaker 5: Speak honestly and plainly, and I shall fill in the gaps.
Speaker 1: Moses wanted to tell him everything, but he found himself
Speaker 1: stumbling over the words in his mind. How could he
Speaker 1: explain what even he scarcely understood. Instead, he chose to
Speaker 1: give a veiled answer, a truth with many layers hidden
Speaker 1: beneath it.
Speaker 3: Jethrow, I have to return to Egypt.
Speaker 1: Jethrow's eyes widened in surprise, a grin tugging at his lips,
Speaker 1: as if he thought it a jest.
Speaker 5: Why would you return there? Oh? What's left for you
Speaker 5: in Egypt?
Speaker 3: I'm burdened by the people I left there. I want
Speaker 3: to see if my brothers are still alive. I have
Speaker 3: lived comfortably here under your leadership. It doesn't sit right
Speaker 3: with me that they're suffering?
Speaker 5: So what will you do about it? You'll leave and return?
Speaker 5: Or do you intend to stay there? Do you plan
Speaker 5: to be a slave among them?
Speaker 3: I plan to be a brother among them? The rest
Speaker 3: isn't quite clear.
Speaker 5: Why this sudden change, my son? What happened this morning?
Speaker 1: Moses side deeply and glanced back toward Mount Sinai. The
Speaker 1: morning mist clung to its slopes. For a fleeting moment,
Speaker 1: he doubted himself had it all been a dream? But
Speaker 1: he knew better. He felt it in his bones. The
Speaker 1: voice he had heard was real, and the calling upon
Speaker 1: his life was undeniable. There was no running from it now,
Speaker 1: no denying the truth of who he was and who
Speaker 1: he was meant to be.
Speaker 3: You told me that I would discover who I am here.
Speaker 2: I have.
Speaker 3: I am a Hebrew and belong with my fellow Hebrews.
Speaker 3: Whatever trials that arise as the result, I will bear.
Speaker 5: Ay. I see what of my daughter? What of my grandchildren?
Speaker 5: Half their blood as Hebrew, but their whole hearts are Midianite.
Speaker 3: They will go with me. I will lead them and
Speaker 3: keep them safe.
Speaker 5: There's that stammer again, What are you truly doing, Moses,
Speaker 5: what lies beneath the surface of all this?
Speaker 3: Jethro, I love you as a father. Please trust that
Speaker 3: I know what I'm doing. Allow me to go back
Speaker 3: to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they're still alive.
Speaker 1: Jethrow studied him for a long moment, searching Moses' eyes,
Speaker 1: as if seeking to unearth the deeper truths buried there.
Speaker 1: His skepticism slowly gave way to resignation. He stroked his beard,
Speaker 1: sighed heavily, and then, without warning, pulled Moses into a
Speaker 1: tight embrace.
Speaker 5: Go in peace, Moses. I pray you find what you're
Speaker 5: searching for.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Jethro, and good luck.
Speaker 5: Good luck for what hah, good luck convincing my daughter
Speaker 5: to uproot her life and take her children into almost
Speaker 5: certain peril. Good luck, my friend. You're not envy.
Speaker 1: Moses's throat tightened, and he looked past Jethro to where
Speaker 1: Zipporah was hanging clothes their son Elieza tied to her chest.
Speaker 1: He nodded to his father in law, squared his shoulders,
Speaker 1: and began walking toward her. Moses slowly approached his wife,
Speaker 1: taking her in for a moment. In the early light,
Speaker 1: the sun played upon her smooth ebony skin and bright smile.
Speaker 1: Her bright smile, the way she moved with grace, even
Speaker 1: in the simplest of tasks, remark minded him of everything
Speaker 1: he loved about her, and everything he loved about Median.
Speaker 1: She was his refuge, his anchor in a world that
Speaker 1: so often fell to drift. Without speaking, he picked up
Speaker 1: a few garments and began hanging them beside her. She
Speaker 1: smiled at him, but said nothing. They worked side by
Speaker 1: side in a comfortable silence, the quiet moments stretching between
Speaker 1: them like a thread pulled tort.
Speaker 3: I love the life we've created together, Ziberah. I cherish
Speaker 3: it as do I my love. I pray that our
Speaker 3: love will be able to withstand what's to come.
Speaker 1: Zipporah's brow furrowed slightly, her eyes narrowing in a mix
Speaker 1: of curiosity and concern.
Speaker 6: Am I talking to my husband or to my father?
Speaker 6: What's with the pretense and poetry?
Speaker 1: Moses chuckled, though his laugh was strained. He reached for
Speaker 1: her hand, squeezing it gently, which she could sense the
Speaker 1: tension in him. She slipped her hands free and placed
Speaker 1: them on her hips, her expression turning serious.
Speaker 6: Moses, what are you thinking.
Speaker 3: The God of my forefathers came to me this morning
Speaker 3: on the mountain.
Speaker 6: You mean the God of.
Speaker 3: Yes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He appeared
Speaker 3: to me in fire. He's chosen me, Zibrah. He's chosen
Speaker 3: me to return to.
Speaker 6: Egypt, return to Egypt to do what exactly.
Speaker 3: To set his people free, to lead them into the
Speaker 3: land he's promised to them. Why you, I asked the
Speaker 3: same question.
Speaker 5: I think.
Speaker 3: I think this has always been my destiny. This must
Speaker 3: be why I was spared all those years ago. This
Speaker 3: is why I survived the Nile and Pharaoh's dog pluck
Speaker 3: me out of the river. I was chosen for this.
Speaker 1: Zipporah's face remained calm, but her eyes were searching, probing
Speaker 1: his own. She wasn't angry, nor did she seem disappointed. Instead,
Speaker 1: she appeared to be wrestling with something deep inside. For
Speaker 1: a moment, Moses felt as though he were staring into
Speaker 1: a mirror, seeing his own doubts and fears reflected back
Speaker 1: at him. Finally, after a long silence, she spoke, I.
Speaker 6: Am yours, Moses, I and your children are yours. When
Speaker 6: do we leave?
Speaker 1: Relief washed over him like a cool breeze in the desert.
Speaker 1: He pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her close
Speaker 1: as if he could somehow squeeze the doubt and fear
Speaker 1: out of both of them. But he knew better the
Speaker 1: doubt would remain a shadow always at their backs. That night,
Speaker 1: they gathered what belongings they could carry and loaded them
Speaker 1: onto a donkey. They said their goodbyes and received blessings
Speaker 1: from the elders standing beside the flames under a canopy
Speaker 1: of stars, and before the first light of dawn broke
Speaker 1: the following morning, they departed, the sun rising behind them,
Speaker 1: casting a warm amber glow on the road ahead. It
Speaker 1: was as if the Lord himself had laid a golden
Speaker 1: path between Median and Egypt. Moses gripped his staff in
Speaker 1: one hand and the reins of the donkey in the other.
Speaker 1: Zipporah and Elieza rode atop the beast, while Gersham walked
Speaker 1: close behind, carrying a small pack. In the light of dawn,
Speaker 1: Moses whispered to the Lord, his voice heavy with uncertainty.
Speaker 3: What will I do? How will I do it?
Speaker 1: The wind whispered across the desert, cooling his flushed cheeks,
Speaker 1: and then as clearly as he had spoken from the
Speaker 1: burning bush, The Lord's voice came to him again.
Speaker 2: When you return to Egypt, perform the miracles I have
Speaker 2: put in your power. I will harden his heart, and
Speaker 2: he will not let the people go.
Speaker 3: What do I tell him? How will I confront Rameses.
Speaker 2: Speak for me, Moses. It is not you who confronts him,
Speaker 2: but I, the Lord. Say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord,
Speaker 2: Israel is my first born son. Let my son go,
Speaker 2: that he may serve me.
Speaker 1: The wind churned up sand, and all of a sudden,
Speaker 1: the wind grew warmer. Moses squinted and shielded his face,
Speaker 1: and that he brood from among them. The Lord continued
Speaker 1: his declaration.
Speaker 2: Say to Pharaoh, if you refuse to let my son go, behold,
Speaker 2: I would kill your first bard son.
Speaker 1: The words fell like stones into Moses' heart, heavy and foreboding.
Speaker 1: In that moment, he began to understand what he had
Speaker 1: only glimpsed before. This God was not like the gods
Speaker 1: of Egypt. This God was mighty, unpredictable, a force both
Speaker 1: loving and terrifying. Moses realized then he had only begun
Speaker 1: to comprehend the full extent of the Lord's power and
Speaker 1: just how far he would go to redeem his people.
Speaker 4: Moses has found sanctuary in Midyan. Leeing Egypt, he has
Speaker 4: built a life for himself, marrying Sipora, tending to his
Speaker 4: father in law Jethro's Flox, and raising a family. Medion
Speaker 4: represents safety, stability, and a life removed from the struggles
Speaker 4: of his people, the Israelites, who are languishing under Pharaoh's oppression.
Speaker 4: Yet amidst this tranquility, God calls out to Moses from
Speaker 4: the burning bush. His command is very clear, return to
Speaker 4: Egypt and lead the Israelites out of bondage. Imagine the
Speaker 4: weight of this commandment from heaven. Moses is asked to
Speaker 4: confront Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of the time, and
Speaker 4: demand the release of an enslaved people. He's to forsake
Speaker 4: his peaceful existence for a mission that's fraught with danger,
Speaker 4: on certainty and an overwhelming responsibility. And as Moses's task
Speaker 4: with this massive responsibility, he hesitates. Moses tries desperately to
Speaker 4: be relieved of this very challenging mission of convincing Pharaoh
Speaker 4: to let the people go. Verse ten reads like this,
Speaker 4: Moses said to the Lord, pardon your servant, Lord, I
Speaker 4: have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since
Speaker 4: you've spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech
Speaker 4: and tongue. Moses makes a pretty good argument, doesn't he.
Speaker 4: If Moses had a speech impediment, which this implies, or
Speaker 4: even if he wasn't just a very good talker, very
Speaker 4: good with words, how could he possibly be expected to
Speaker 4: convince the most powerful ruler in the whole world to
Speaker 4: do something that he didn't want to do. But then
Speaker 4: God responds to Moses and he says this, quote who
Speaker 4: gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?
Speaker 4: Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it
Speaker 4: not I? The Lord?
Speaker 3: End quote?
Speaker 4: You know, this conversation between God and Moses has a
Speaker 4: lot to teach us. Sometimes we think we're not talented enough,
Speaker 4: we're not worthy enough to do something that God is
Speaker 4: calling us to do. But as God says to Moses,
Speaker 4: as long as your task is a holy one, and
Speaker 4: as long as what you're doing is for a godly cause,
Speaker 4: then I God will support you and I'll help you.
Speaker 4: It really strengthens me. Doesn't this strengthen you? As I
Speaker 4: lead the fellowship here in the holy Land of Israel,
Speaker 4: I see so many people in need. I see people
Speaker 4: calling out for help, and I think, Lord, how can
Speaker 4: I do this? How can I help fulfill biblical prophecy
Speaker 4: to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to shelter
Speaker 4: the poor.
Speaker 3: But God always.
Speaker 4: Finds a way. Here in Israel, God has enabled the
Speaker 4: Fellowship to help hundreds of thousands of people who are
Speaker 4: poor or lonely, or ill, or in the frontlines of war.
Speaker 4: And I know, just as God told Moses, God is
Speaker 4: with me and the Fellowship, because our work is holy work.
Speaker 4: When Moses left Midion, it wasn't just a physical departure,
Speaker 4: an emotional and spiritual upheaval. Moses relinquished the known for
Speaker 4: the unknown. Many of us can relate to this scenario
Speaker 4: on a different scale. Of course, we all face moments
Speaker 4: when we're called to step out of our comfort zones
Speaker 4: and embrace change. Medion symbolizes that place of comfort that
Speaker 4: we each have a job. We're accustomed to, relationships that
Speaker 4: are familiar and routines that give us a sense of control.
Speaker 4: But life, in its unpredictable nature, often presents us with
Speaker 4: challenges that require us to leave our Midyan behind. Maybe
Speaker 4: it's a career change or move to a new place,
Speaker 4: or maybe it's standing up for a cause that puts
Speaker 4: us at odds with those around us. These transitions can
Speaker 4: be intimidating. So how do we navigate these moments? Well,
Speaker 4: I suggest let's learn from Moses's courage. Like us, Moses
Speaker 4: was human. Moses was hesitant, questioned his ability, saying to God,
Speaker 4: who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? Recognizing
Speaker 4: our vulnerabilities isn't a sign of weakness, it's the first
Speaker 4: step to facing our challenges. Also, Moses didn't embark on
Speaker 4: this journey alone. He had his family and God provided
Speaker 4: Aaron to assist him. In our lives, Let's not hesitate
Speaker 4: to reach out to friends, our family, and our community
Speaker 4: for support when we need it. But most important to
Speaker 4: Moses's journey was definitely his trust in God's guidance. Even
Speaker 4: when the road was uncertain. He moved forward because he
Speaker 4: believed that he was part of a purpose that was
Speaker 4: greater than himself. And for Moses, faith was intertwined with action.
Speaker 4: He didn't just hope for liberation, he took concrete steps
Speaker 4: towards liberation, despite the risks faith and action. Go hey
Speaker 4: in hand, we trust and we act. We believe and
Speaker 4: we do. God assured Moses, saying I will be with you.
Speaker 4: This promise didn't mean the absence of hardship. It meant
Speaker 4: the presence of divine accompaniment through any hardships he would face.
Speaker 4: Moses's departure from Midyon is more than a historical account.
Speaker 4: It's a timeless lesson on facing the unknown with faith
Speaker 4: and courage. As we encounter our very own Egypt's situations
Speaker 4: that require us to leave our comfort zones, we can
Speaker 4: remember that, like Moses, we have the capacity to rise
Speaker 4: to the occasion. We just need a count on, call
Speaker 4: on and trust in God. My friends, May we find
Speaker 4: the strength to leave our own medians when called upon,
Speaker 4: and may we support one another in the journeys ahead.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: Com app to day. This Prey dot Com production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger, and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yil Eckstein
Speaker 1: edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier,
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, cayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
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