Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People.
Speaker 2: Also tell them this now, if you will carefully listen
Speaker 2: to me and keep my covenant, you will be my
Speaker 2: own possession. Out of all the peoples, all throughout the
Speaker 2: whole earth, you will be my kingdom of priests and
Speaker 2: my holy nation.
Speaker 3: Are all our elders in place to monitor the boundaries
Speaker 3: when we called.
Speaker 4: Out, Yes, we are as prepared as possible.
Speaker 5: My God, you are the god of our fathers, of Abraham,
Speaker 5: Isaac and Jacob, the one who has brought us from
Speaker 5: our misery.
Speaker 3: Egypt, your servant and your people stand before you.
Speaker 2: Moses, my servant, come to me on the mountain.
Speaker 1: And so Moses took one step, another and another across
Speaker 1: the boundary line into the darkness that was gathered on
Speaker 1: the mountain, and stretching into the sky above.
Speaker 2: He began his climb.
Speaker 6: As the mountain quakes and the Chofar sounds. The Chosen
Speaker 6: People stand on the brink of a covenant that will
Speaker 6: bind heaven and earth. Cello, my friends, from here in
Speaker 6: the Holy Land of Israel, i'm ya l Ekstein with
Speaker 6: the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Welcome to the
Speaker 6: Chosen People. We find ourselves standing at the edge of
Speaker 6: a monumental moment. The children of Israel have been delivered
Speaker 6: from the shackles of Egypt, a land soaked in the
Speaker 6: sorrow of slavery. They have journeyed through the wilderness, led
Speaker 6: by the mighty hand of God, witnessing wonders that defy
Speaker 6: human understanding. And now they stand at the foot of
Speaker 6: Mount Sinai, trembling with anticipation. The air is thick with expectation.
Speaker 6: A holy hush has fallen over the Chosen People as
Speaker 6: they prepare to receive something unparalleled, a revelation that will
Speaker 6: define their identity and shape their destiny.
Speaker 1: Aaron stood before the foot of the mountain with the
Speaker 1: nation of Israel in the dense smoke. Several hours had
Speaker 1: passed since his brother had ascended through the terrifying darkness,
Speaker 1: but no one dared move or turn away. Aaron would
Speaker 1: never have admitted the genuine fear he felt. The longer
Speaker 1: Moses absence stretched before him, he wondered what he ought
Speaker 1: to be doing. His lower back and the soles of
Speaker 1: his feet were starting to hurt. He eyed the boundary
Speaker 1: line before him and tentatively stole a look at the
Speaker 1: eldest They clearly shared his restlessness. There was still palpable
Speaker 1: fear in the air, and all the pent up anxiety
Speaker 1: sent a nervous energy that could be felt reverberating through
Speaker 1: the crowd. Aaron could sense that Miriam felt it too.
Speaker 1: They needed to act to get ahead of it. An
Speaker 1: unruly crowd must be appeased.
Speaker 2: Do you think we.
Speaker 3: Should continue to wait or should we send the people
Speaker 3: back to camp and wait for Moses there.
Speaker 4: I'm not sure nothing quite like this has ever happened before.
Speaker 4: The Lord didn't specify how long to wait or what
Speaker 4: to do after we stood before him.
Speaker 2: The people are growing restless.
Speaker 4: It falls to us to lead them in Moses' is absent.
Speaker 3: We understand that, Miriam, But what would you have louk?
Speaker 1: Aaron whipped his attention back upwards. Sure enough, there was
Speaker 1: movement in the smoky darkness on the slope of the mountain.
Speaker 1: The shape of a lamb was emerging, and the entire
Speaker 1: nation of his trail fixed its eyes. Moses materialized before them.
Speaker 1: He was unharmed, but his clothes and hair were covered
Speaker 1: in soot and grime. Aaron wrinkled his nose. He could
Speaker 1: only imagine the smoky Aroma that would linger on his
Speaker 1: purson and in his tent for days to come. Moses
Speaker 1: walked with purpose down the incline and made a bee
Speaker 1: line toward Aaron and Miriam. His expression serious.
Speaker 3: Aaron, Miriam, has anyone crossed the boundary lines?
Speaker 2: No, of course not.
Speaker 7: We've been waiting here for you to return.
Speaker 4: Why do you ask?
Speaker 3: Our God spoke to me again, in the holiness of
Speaker 3: his presence. He warned me again that no one is
Speaker 3: to break through to see him, or they will die.
Speaker 3: He also warned me that even priests must consecrate themselves
Speaker 3: or he will break out and anger against them. No
Speaker 3: one is to approach the mountain. He sent me back
Speaker 3: down to prepare the people to hear from him.
Speaker 4: He will speak to all of us.
Speaker 1: Moses nodded. He then addressed the people in a booming voice.
Speaker 7: Israel, stay where you are.
Speaker 3: Our God has sent me to warn you.
Speaker 7: Listen to the elders among you, and do not cross
Speaker 7: the boundaries we have laid for you. Our God is
Speaker 7: so holy and mighty that we must keep our distance.
Speaker 3: Do not approach the mountain.
Speaker 7: If you value your life, his hanger will burn against
Speaker 7: you if you cross the threshold We've laid till you understand.
Speaker 1: Aaron watched as the crowd murmured assent, and looks of
Speaker 1: concern passed through them. They were still on edge from
Speaker 1: the earlier display of power, but they did not seem
Speaker 1: keen to disobey the guidelines their elders had put in
Speaker 1: place for them. Many were still shuddering out of fear
Speaker 1: or pale at the prospect of being turned to ash.
Speaker 3: No, our God will speak to us.
Speaker 1: The Israelites stood in anticipation. Everyone held their breath as one.
Speaker 1: For a moment, all was silent. Everything went quiet except
Speaker 1: the low whistle of the wind above. They waited for
Speaker 1: their God to speak to them from the misty mountain
Speaker 1: above their heads. Then, just as he had spoken over
Speaker 1: the silent void in the beginning, God spoke.
Speaker 2: I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out
Speaker 2: of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
Speaker 1: Aaron's mouth fell opard, and he stumbled forward a step.
Speaker 1: The sound left him speechless, and his mind struggled to
Speaker 1: comprehend he was not alone. The Israelites were terrified. The
Speaker 1: latent anxiety quickly churned into a frenetic energy that pulsed
Speaker 1: through the columns of trembling.
Speaker 2: People do not have any other gods before me.
Speaker 1: Lightning split the sky, lighting the darkened world around them,
Speaker 1: and thunder shook the ground. Again, Aaron spied more than
Speaker 1: one burly man buckled at the knees. He turned and
Speaker 1: saw a warrior wetting his tunic in fear. Aaron had
Speaker 1: never seen any god, Egyptian or otherwise, do the things
Speaker 1: his God could do, But he had often wondered where
Speaker 1: these foreign gods fell in this divine hierarchy, or even
Speaker 1: if they truly existed, if they ever had at all.
Speaker 1: It was now unmistakable that the God they followed into
Speaker 1: the willness reigned above them all.
Speaker 2: Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the
Speaker 2: shape of anything in the heavens above, the earth below,
Speaker 2: or the waters under the earth.
Speaker 1: More lightning, thunder, and terror. But Aaron wondered at the
Speaker 1: outlawing of idea. Creating an idol was a common practice,
Speaker 1: the most natural thing in the world. In his experience,
Speaker 1: people could not understand the spiritual alone. They craved something physical, tangible,
Speaker 1: something they could touch and comprehend. It was comforting for
Speaker 1: their faith and essential for their belief.
Speaker 2: Do not bow in worship to them, and do not
Speaker 2: serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a
Speaker 2: jealous god, bringing the consequences of the father's iniquity on
Speaker 2: the children. To the third and fourth generation of those
Speaker 2: who aid me. But show him a faithful love to
Speaker 2: a thousand generations of those who love me and keep
Speaker 2: my commands. Do not misuse the name of the Lord
Speaker 2: your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished
Speaker 2: who mis represents his name.
Speaker 1: Aaron could understand that one names were a powerful thing.
Speaker 2: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it wholly. You are
Speaker 2: to labor six days and do all your work. But
Speaker 2: the seventh day is a sabbath. To the Lord your God.
Speaker 2: You must not do any work, either you, your son
Speaker 2: or daughter, your male or female servant, your live stock,
Speaker 2: or the resident alien within your gates. For the Lord
Speaker 2: made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything
Speaker 2: in them in six days. Then he rested are the
Speaker 2: seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blesses the sabbath day and
Speaker 2: declares it wholly.
Speaker 1: Now this was truly unique. In all their toiling in Egypt,
Speaker 1: they had never known a day free from work. A
Speaker 1: day that would be kept holy, a day dedicated entirely
Speaker 1: to worship. Aaron had never heard of such a thing,
Speaker 1: and certainly not for an entire nation, men, women and children,
Speaker 1: and for everyone, not just priests or elders or leaders.
Speaker 2: Honor your father and mother so that you may have
Speaker 2: a long life in the land the Lord, your God
Speaker 2: has given you.
Speaker 1: Miriam noted the shift in their God's commandments, for that
Speaker 1: is what these were. The Lord was providing the newly liberated,
Speaker 1: fledgling nation with the laws that would guide and shape
Speaker 1: their society. He had begun with their relationship with him,
Speaker 1: how subjects relate to their ruler, But now it seemed
Speaker 1: he would outline how they were to live together in
Speaker 1: their society.
Speaker 2: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal,
Speaker 2: Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. Do not
Speaker 2: covet your neighbor's house, nor his wife, his male or
Speaker 2: female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs
Speaker 2: to your neighbor.
Speaker 1: Miriam beamed to herself. She was right. These statutes would
Speaker 1: become the bedrock of their administrative and judiciary systems, caring
Speaker 1: for the elderly, outlining capital offenses and preserving the purity
Speaker 1: of the family unit. At the end of their God's words,
Speaker 1: another great flash of lightning the roll of thunder crack
Speaker 1: through the sky. It reverberated into the rock below their feet,
Speaker 1: cutting short Miriam's self satisfaction and discerning the purpose of
Speaker 1: the commandments. The sound was so great it blocked out
Speaker 1: all thought besides the noise and light. She struggled to
Speaker 1: keep her footing as the ground trembled. The mighty display
Speaker 1: continued without their God's voice, and Miriam glimpsed at the
Speaker 1: people around her. They were crouched in fear, covering their
Speaker 1: ears and eyes with their hair. It was as if
Speaker 1: they were inside of the very storm itself. The ground
Speaker 1: was still shaking and rolling beneath their feet, and as
Speaker 1: one stepped back, the columns of over two million souls
Speaker 1: stepped back. Some ran, some crawled, but all shrank away
Speaker 1: from the mountain's base. Then the chauffeur resumed its triumphant
Speaker 1: rhythmic blasts, the lightning, thunder horn, and earth quaking beneath
Speaker 1: its strange, immersive orchestra. Miriam was lost in its alien melody,
Speaker 1: and its presence was all consuming. It was terrible, wonderful,
Speaker 1: and other worldly, And as suddenly as it had begun,
Speaker 1: the storm and the music cut out. Absolute silence hung
Speaker 1: in the air, like the dense clouds above. Miriam tentatively
Speaker 1: lifted her hands away from her ears and looked around.
Speaker 1: The Israelites were in various stages of their attempts to flee.
Speaker 1: She saw that more than a few tears, sweat, and
Speaker 1: urine had swept through the terrified throng. Miriam's own hands
Speaker 1: were shaking uncontrollably. She breathed deeply in and out, trying
Speaker 1: to calm her frantic nerves. She saw that her brothers
Speaker 1: had not fared much better. The three of them had
Speaker 1: remained in their places at the boundary lines, though the
Speaker 1: crowd had shrunk back significantly. Aaron looked as shaken as
Speaker 1: she felt, but was quickly smoothing his face and his clothes.
Speaker 1: Moses was still holding his staff and staring up at
Speaker 1: the mountain in the direction, silently communicating with an unheard voice.
Speaker 1: Miriam knew the look. Sure enough, Moses turned to face
Speaker 1: them and strode confidently toward the stunned masses. Miriam and
Speaker 1: Aaron flanked him like silent shadows. The people were murmuring
Speaker 1: frantically amongst themselves as they approached. They quieted as the
Speaker 1: trio approached.
Speaker 3: Speak, my brothers, you've just heard the word of our God, Moses.
Speaker 1: Words were met with silence. For a long moment, the
Speaker 1: air was charged with frantic thoughts. The feeling in the
Speaker 1: air was so palpable you could almost taste it, but
Speaker 1: no words were being formed aloud. Fear pure and unadulterated.
Speaker 1: After what felt like a lifetime, the closest and boldest
Speaker 1: looking man finally stepped forward to address their leader.
Speaker 8: We all agree, you speak to us and we will listen.
Speaker 8: But don't let the Lord speak to us.
Speaker 3: HOHU will do I?
Speaker 1: Moses looked surprised at his response. He then took in
Speaker 1: the trembling united faces throughout the crowd. He sighed, but
Speaker 1: addressed them half heartedly, unable to keep the disappoint ointment
Speaker 1: from his face.
Speaker 2: Do not be afraid.
Speaker 3: Our God has come to test you, so that the
Speaker 3: fear of Him will be in you, and you will
Speaker 3: not sin, For the fear of the Lord is the
Speaker 3: beginning of wisdom.
Speaker 1: Predictably, the crowd remained unmoved. They did not approach Moses
Speaker 1: or even glance toward the mountain behind him. Miriam watched
Speaker 1: her brother wrestle silently for a long moment as he
Speaker 1: stared out at the chosen people of their God. Miriam
Speaker 1: would not admit it readily, but she was relieved by
Speaker 1: the people's desire to keep Moses as their God's mouthpiece.
Speaker 1: She still honored her God and held her faith in
Speaker 1: her heart like a steady flame, but something about the
Speaker 1: presence of their God had shaken her to the core
Speaker 1: in a way she was not ready to comprehend. And
Speaker 1: more importantly, she did not fear a man. She could
Speaker 1: understand the commands and leadership a man. The supernatural and
Speaker 1: unpredictable nature of their God unsettled her so deeply. Moses
Speaker 1: concluded whatever war was waving in his mind and turned
Speaker 1: away from the people, seemingly accepting their request. As he
Speaker 1: departed in the direction of the mountain. He steadily walked
Speaker 1: into the growing darkness as he once again climbed the
Speaker 1: darkened mountain to meet with their God. Almost a full
Speaker 1: day passed since Moses approached the mountain to receive further
Speaker 1: instruction from their God, and several more past since he
Speaker 1: relayed those instructions, recorded the words, and set up an
Speaker 1: altar with twelve pillars, one for each tribe. Moses was
Speaker 1: nothing if not a productive man. A new silence settled
Speaker 1: over the people, and Moses turned, motioning for the elder
Speaker 1: to follow him. They climbed the slope away from the crowd,
Speaker 1: and Aaron felt himself pulled into a strange, heavy calm
Speaker 1: as he walked beside his brother, knowing full well what
Speaker 1: was to come. They reached the place Moses had marked
Speaker 1: for the covenant, a rough altar he had built from
Speaker 1: unworked stones, simple yet solemn, with grim ceremony. He took
Speaker 1: up a basin of blood from the sacrificial bulls and
Speaker 1: began to sprinkle it upon the altar. He spoke the
Speaker 1: words of the Covenant aloud, sealing the laws they had
Speaker 1: just heard, and then, with slow deliberation, he turned to
Speaker 1: the elders and cast the blood upon them as well.
Speaker 1: Aaron felt the warm droplet spatter his face, the metallic
Speaker 1: scent filling his nostrils. Blood trickled down his cheek, streaking
Speaker 1: his robes and his skin. He glanced at his son's
Speaker 1: nadab and Abayou, who stood in quiet reverence, their faces
Speaker 1: pale but resolute. Nadab shifted slightly, his face flickering with uncertainty,
Speaker 1: but he quickly steadied himself. Meeting his father's gaze. Moses
Speaker 1: lifted his hands, his voice carrying over the assembly.
Speaker 3: This blood seals the covenant the Lord has made with you.
Speaker 1: The elders murmured their assent, each face solemn, each man
Speaker 1: bound by the blood now streaking his skin. Nadab glanced
Speaker 1: at his father, a question lingering in his eyes, but
Speaker 1: he did not speak it aloud. After the sacrifice, Moses
Speaker 1: led them further up the mountain, motioning for the elders
Speaker 1: to follow him. Aaron felt Nadab's hand upon his arm,
Speaker 1: steadying himself. He could see the flicker of fear in
Speaker 1: his son's eyes, the hint of something close to dread.
Speaker 2: I think we are to ascend further. Stand up straight, son,
Speaker 2: This is an important moment.
Speaker 1: They climbed higher, leaving the murmurs of the people behind.
Speaker 1: As they reached a high plateau, a strange, otherworldly light
Speaker 1: broke through the clouds above, casting an eerie sapphire glow
Speaker 1: upon the ground. Aaron squinted and for a moment, he
Speaker 1: thought he saw something vast and terrible far above them,
Speaker 1: a throne, it seemed, set upon a pavement of sapphire,
Speaker 1: clear as the sky, blazing with an unearthly light. Aran
Speaker 1: fell to his knees, unable to bear the sight of it,
Speaker 1: the awe and terror mingling in his heart. And beside him,
Speaker 1: the elders did the same, their faces pale and reverent.
Speaker 1: They stayed in that posture until Moses finally broke the stillness,
Speaker 1: calling them to the covenant meal. Aaron tore a piece
Speaker 1: of bread, eating silently, his hands still trembling. But just
Speaker 1: as he lifted the cup to his lips, her voice
Speaker 1: rang out again, voice that shattered all thoughts and bound
Speaker 1: them as surely as the blood upon their skin.
Speaker 2: Moses, come to me upon the mountain. I shall give
Speaker 2: you the tablets of stone, which are written my law
Speaker 2: of commandments.
Speaker 1: Moses rose, his face set. He looked out over the
Speaker 1: gathered elders, and his gaze lingered upon Hoshier, his young aide,
Speaker 1: who stood trembling at the rear.
Speaker 3: Come, Hosher, you shall go further with me.
Speaker 1: Hoshier's eyes widened, his face pale, but he nodded Aaron
Speaker 1: watched as the young man gathered himself, his face a
Speaker 1: mixture of fear and awe, and took his place beside Moses.
Speaker 1: Moses looked back at his brother and the other elders.
Speaker 1: Aaron's heart began to race with questions. Would Moses be safe,
Speaker 1: when would he return? What would become of him when
Speaker 1: he had the frame. Moses, sensing his brother's anxiety, turned
Speaker 1: to him and nodded, so you sm Aaron opened his
Speaker 1: mouth to speak, but for once he was at a
Speaker 1: loss for words. He simply nodded and watched the two
Speaker 1: figures begin to climb, vanishing slowly into the swirling clouds,
Speaker 1: drawn up into the smoke and fire that burned on
Speaker 1: Sinai's heights. As Aaron watched them go, the silence fell
Speaker 1: once more heavy and final, and he felt in his
Speaker 1: heart the weight of the covenant, the blood and fire
Speaker 1: that would buy them not just as a people, but
Speaker 1: as a promise, a promise sealed in fear, law, and sacrifice.
Speaker 6: The Ten Commandments inscribed by God's finger. These aren't just
Speaker 6: ancient decrees. They're living words that continue to shape our lives.
Speaker 6: They remind us that we are people set apower. We
Speaker 6: are a people set apart bound by a divine calling,
Speaker 6: and we have to ask, how can we, in our
Speaker 6: modern lives embody the spirit of the law given at Sinai.
Speaker 6: This episode wasn't just recounting of history. Was an invitation,
Speaker 6: an invitation to live out the principles that were handed
Speaker 6: down to us, to let them shape our actions and
Speaker 6: our hearts. With the Bible story echoing in our hearts,
Speaker 6: let us strive to be a light into the nations,
Speaker 6: faithful to the covenant that began at Sinai. Picture a
Speaker 6: wedding where vows are spoken. These commandments are those vows,
Speaker 6: the sacred terms of our relationship with God given to
Speaker 6: his chosen people, the first three commands and shape our
Speaker 6: bond with God. No other gods before me. This commandment
Speaker 6: is one of exclusive allegiance to the God who let
Speaker 6: us out of Egypt and claimed us as his own.
Speaker 6: No idols. Well, we've witnessed the Chosen people see God
Speaker 6: appear in the cloud of fire, not as an image,
Speaker 6: creating idols as a betrayal, reducing our infinite creator to
Speaker 6: a finite form. And quote, do not misuse the name
Speaker 6: of the Lord. End quote. This is about carrying his
Speaker 6: name with reverence. Our actions and words must reflect His holiness.
Speaker 6: And these first three commandments lead us to the fourth.
Speaker 6: In the Jewish candace of the week, one day stands
Speaker 6: apart Shabbat, the Sabbath. Have you ever wondered why this
Speaker 6: day is so pivotal to the Jewish faith. It's not
Speaker 6: just a day of rest, no, at so much mon
Speaker 6: More than that, the Sabbath is the heartbeat of the
Speaker 6: Jewish people's existence. It's the anchor that has kept us
Speaker 6: grounded through the very uncertain waves of history. For Millenniashabad
Speaker 6: has been our sanctuary, the sacred time that has preserved
Speaker 6: Judaism vibrant and unyielding, and for these thousands of years,
Speaker 6: it has been the essence of our very survival. By
Speaker 6: following this commandment, the Jewish people passed on our faith
Speaker 6: and God's laws to the very next generation through times
Speaker 6: of persecution. By following this commandment, the Jewish people have
Speaker 6: passed on their faith and God's law to the next generation.
Speaker 6: Even through times of persecution and hardships. Through the Sabbath,
Speaker 6: the Chosen people have survived. And it says quote six
Speaker 6: days you shall labor end quote. These words from Exodus
Speaker 6: twenty nine hold a profound mystery. In Hebrew, the word
Speaker 6: for you shall labor is said to avode, but it
Speaker 6: also means you shall serve. What if I told you
Speaker 6: that our sages interpret this to avode for six days,
Speaker 6: you should to avode to mean that for six days
Speaker 6: our work is our service to God. For six days,
Speaker 6: every mundane task that we do, every effort, is actually
Speaker 6: an act of worship. And on the seventh day our
Speaker 6: service transforms. By resting on the Sabbath, we serve God
Speaker 6: in a deeper, more profound way. Our worth isn't tied
Speaker 6: to our productivity when it comes to the Sabbath. No,
Speaker 6: our value lies and our identity as the chosen people.
Speaker 6: Isn't that a radical thought in today busy world, that
Speaker 6: for six days we serve God by working, but on
Speaker 6: the seventh day we serve God simply by being the
Speaker 6: rabbi and physician. My Mandodes had a beautiful teaching about
Speaker 6: the Sabbath. This is what he said. If a person
Speaker 6: sleeps in order to allow his mind to rest and
Speaker 6: to give rest to his body, so that he should
Speaker 6: not become sick and unable to serve God, because of illness.
Speaker 6: In this case, his very sleep is service to God.
Speaker 6: You see, sometimes we serve God by working hard at
Speaker 6: contributing to his purpose of bettering this world. And sometimes
Speaker 6: the greatest thing that we can do for the glory
Speaker 6: of God is to do nothing at all. Now, let's
Speaker 6: talk about the final commandment. Coveting the tenth Commandment touches
Speaker 6: a nerve, doesn't it. The Jewish sage is offered this
Speaker 6: stark wisdom on the matter. Whoever desires something that is
Speaker 6: not his not get what he wants, and actually he'll
Speaker 6: lose what he already has. Think about that. How often
Speaker 6: do we chase what others possess only to lose sight
Speaker 6: of our own blessings? What have you lost in the
Speaker 6: pursuit of what isn't yours? We risk so much when
Speaker 6: we covet. We have everything to gain by cherishing what
Speaker 6: God has already given us. Contentment is truly a gift
Speaker 6: from God, isn't it. It's really something to think that
Speaker 6: God gave these commandments to the chosen people at Sinai,
Speaker 6: isn't it? And it's truly a responsibility for all of
Speaker 6: us today, as the chosen people, to keep this covenant
Speaker 6: made in the Bible. I want to take a look
Speaker 6: at a couple of these laws beyond the ten commandment
Speaker 6: that this episode brought to mind. In Exodus twenty two
Speaker 6: to twenty one, God commands us, quote, do not mistreat
Speaker 6: or oppress a foreigner, for you were once fore foreigners
Speaker 6: in Egypt.
Speaker 1: End quote.
Speaker 6: We have to look at this verse and say, what
Speaker 6: does this mean for us today? Our history of oppression
Speaker 6: in Egypt instills in us a deep, unyielding empathy. It
Speaker 6: binds us to a convenantal responsibility to protect the vulnerable
Speaker 6: in our society, something that the Fellowship is able to
Speaker 6: do because of compassionate Christian friends like you. We're able
Speaker 6: to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the poor,
Speaker 6: help the elderly. Because Christians have taken this verse seriously,
Speaker 6: Jewish tradition extends this command to care for everyone who's marginalized.
Speaker 6: Who are the foreigners among us today? In Exodus twenty
Speaker 6: two twenty two, it says, do not take advantage of
Speaker 6: the widow or the fatherless. Here the Hebrew word for
Speaker 6: take advantage is te anu, and this all so translate
Speaker 6: says make suffer. This command is not just a call
Speaker 6: for us not to exploit others, but we see from
Speaker 6: the Hebrew word that it uses that it's a command
Speaker 6: to us from God to actively prevent suffering. At the Fellowship,
Speaker 6: we are dedicated to ensuring that the suffering, the elderly,
Speaker 6: the widows, the Holocaust survivors, the orphans, the needy children,
Speaker 6: that they do not endure pain and neglect, that they
Speaker 6: have dignity and joy because they know that they're not alone.
Speaker 6: We are called to this work by God. I'd like
Speaker 6: to close today with something the Bible says. After God
Speaker 6: had given the Ten Commandments, the Bible tells us quote
Speaker 6: the people remained at a distance while Moses approached the
Speaker 6: thick darkness where God was. It makes me think we
Speaker 6: all go through dark times, don't we? Financial difficulties, painful
Speaker 6: relationships with the spouse or with a family member. Maybe
Speaker 6: it's the loss of loved one, or maybe you're experiencing
Speaker 6: illness or someone that you cherishes ill. The question is
Speaker 6: how do we react to this thick darkness? Do we
Speaker 6: keep our distance from God or do we get closer
Speaker 6: to him? Going through dark times can make us feel
Speaker 6: far from God. But the Bible teaches us an amazing
Speaker 6: lesson in these verses that God is in the darkness.
Speaker 6: A dark time isn't the time to turn away from God,
Speaker 6: It's actually the exact moment to draw closer to Him.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with the Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max bod Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yile 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 Paul Lanier,
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
Speaker 1: at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
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