WEBVTT - The Passover

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<v Speaker 1>Previously on the chosen people.

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<v Speaker 2>Happi, the God of the Nile, blood out before our eyes. Akeet,

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<v Speaker 2>the frog goddess, left to rot in the streets. Geb,

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<v Speaker 2>the God of the Earth, turned to dust and swarmed

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<v Speaker 2>us with gnats. Capri, the god of life, swarmed against

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<v Speaker 2>his own people as flies. And now Hathor, the goddess

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<v Speaker 2>of livestock, watches as her herds lie dead in the fields.

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<v Speaker 2>The Lord is striking down the gods of Egypt one

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<v Speaker 2>by one.

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<v Speaker 3>Then what would the Lord do when only one god

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<v Speaker 3>is left standing?

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<v Speaker 4>Which god are you talking about, Pharaoh, I will have

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<v Speaker 4>monuments built to my glory. Long after your unnamed god

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<v Speaker 4>has forgotten.

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<v Speaker 2>You will know his name, Rameses. It will be on

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<v Speaker 2>your lips. When your kingdom crumbles to dust. At midnight,

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<v Speaker 2>the Lord will descend upon Egypt. Every first born in

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<v Speaker 2>the land, every first born from your own son upon

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<v Speaker 2>this throne to the lowliest slave in the mill will die.

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<v Speaker 2>There shall be a cry throughout the land of Egypt,

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<v Speaker 2>a cry unlike any heard before, nor ever will be again.

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<v Speaker 5>One more plague will come upon Pharaoh when all of

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<v Speaker 5>Egypt after my judgment, He will let you go from

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<v Speaker 5>this place. When he lets you go, he will drive

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<v Speaker 5>you away completely into the wilderness.

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<v Speaker 6>In the shadow of Egypt's despair, the blood of a

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<v Speaker 6>lamb carved a new destiny. Shallo, my friends from here

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<v Speaker 6>in the Holy Land. Welcome to the Chosen People. I'm

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<v Speaker 6>ya l estein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

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<v Speaker 6>Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible,

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<v Speaker 6>stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the

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<v Speaker 6>meaning of life. Through israel story, we find this truth

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<v Speaker 6>that we are all chosen for something great. If you

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<v Speaker 6>haven't yet followed the podcast, be sure to do so now.

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<v Speaker 6>That way you never have to miss an episode, and

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<v Speaker 6>that small step helps us tremendously as we try to

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<v Speaker 6>be discovered by more people so that we can inspire them.

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<v Speaker 6>If you're interested in finding out more about the prophetic,

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<v Speaker 6>life saving work of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,

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<v Speaker 6>you can visit our website at IFCJ dot org. Have

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<v Speaker 6>you ever wondered what it means to be free? To

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<v Speaker 6>be true, truly free? This week we dive into a

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<v Speaker 6>story etched in the heart of the Chosen People, the

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<v Speaker 6>story of Paisach of Passover. It's a saga of hope, resilience,

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<v Speaker 6>and of divine intervention. We'll encounter God's instructions to Moses

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<v Speaker 6>and Aaron, commands that would usher ind most profound shift

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<v Speaker 6>in Jewish history. But freedom always comes at a cost.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses and Aaron descended the jagged path leading down into Goshin.

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<v Speaker 1>The people were waiting with bated breath, eager to hear

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<v Speaker 1>how their last meeting with Pharaoh went. Miriam stood before them, anxious.

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<v Speaker 4>What did Pharaoh say?

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<v Speaker 2>Pharaoh has refused. The Lord will be sending a final plague.

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<v Speaker 7>The people are terrified.

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<v Speaker 4>Moses, how will they escape the wrath to come?

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<v Speaker 1>Moses had mixed emotions. He had commands from the Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>What was to come would be unlike anything they or

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<v Speaker 1>their forefathers had ever witnessed. Not even Abraham witnessed the

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<v Speaker 1>power about to be poured out upon the Egyptians.

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<v Speaker 2>Gather the people. We have commands from the Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>Mirian and Aaron gathered the congregation of Israel. Moses stood

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<v Speaker 1>before them, hands trembling under the weight of the creator's decree.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses turned to Aaron and permitted him to speak on

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord's behalf Aaron raised his voice to the people,

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<v Speaker 1>arms stretched out.

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<v Speaker 3>Thus, says the Lord. Each of you shall take a

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<v Speaker 3>lamb to eat, each according to their father's house. If

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<v Speaker 3>the household is too small for a lamb, then you

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<v Speaker 3>shall share it with your neighbor who has another. The

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<v Speaker 3>lamb should be a spotless male of only one year old.

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<v Speaker 1>The people tilted their heads in com fusion. Aaron could

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<v Speaker 1>sense their apprehension. They wanted to hear about the plague

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<v Speaker 1>to come, but instead the Lord was giving them commands

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<v Speaker 1>about a meal. What would a meal have to do

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<v Speaker 1>with their salvation.

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<v Speaker 3>The whole assembly shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then

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<v Speaker 3>they shall take some of the blood and put it

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<v Speaker 3>on the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses.

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<v Speaker 3>The blood of the lamb will cover your household for

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<v Speaker 3>the raft to come. Once your households are covered by

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<v Speaker 3>the blood of the lamb, you shall feast on its flesh,

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<v Speaker 3>which has been roasted on the fire. Eat the meat

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<v Speaker 3>with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Let none of it

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<v Speaker 3>remain until the morning. Anything left over shall be burned

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<v Speaker 3>in the fire.

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<v Speaker 4>Why is the Lord commanding this?

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron turned back to Moses, eyes searching for answers. Moses

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<v Speaker 1>stepped forward, voice lightly wavering but gaining confidence.

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<v Speaker 2>When you eat, keep your belts fastened, your sandals on

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<v Speaker 2>your feet, and staves in your hand. Eat your meal swiftly,

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<v Speaker 2>for the Lord is coming tonight.

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<v Speaker 1>The crowd stirred and excited. Unease fell upon them.

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<v Speaker 4>What is happening tonight, mosshire, and why do we have

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<v Speaker 4>to paint our doors with the blood of the.

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<v Speaker 2>Dam This is the Lord's passover, Thus says the Lord.

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<v Speaker 2>I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike

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<v Speaker 2>all the first born in the land of Egypt. Both

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<v Speaker 2>men and beasts shall fear my name, and all the

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<v Speaker 2>gods of Egypt will execute judgments. But I am the Lord.

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<v Speaker 2>The blood shall be assigned for you. When I see

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<v Speaker 2>the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague

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<v Speaker 2>will befall.

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<v Speaker 4>Or destroy you.

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<v Speaker 2>When I strike the land of Egypt.

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<v Speaker 1>The people trembled when they heard the decrees. They had

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<v Speaker 1>yearned for deliverance, but now that it was within reach,

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<v Speaker 1>they seemed uneasy.

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<v Speaker 3>My brethren, remember tonight this day shall be a memorial

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<v Speaker 3>for us. We will repeat this feast throughout the generations.

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<v Speaker 3>It shall be a day of remembrance. Hundreds even thousands

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<v Speaker 3>of years from now, our children will remember the deliverance

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<v Speaker 3>fought and one by the God of all creation.

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<v Speaker 1>The crowd erupted in cheers for the first time in generations.

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<v Speaker 1>They allowed themselves to hope the bitterness and mourning would

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<v Speaker 1>turn to singing and laughter, But not too soon. The

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<v Speaker 1>Lord had work to do.

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<v Speaker 5>On their behalf.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses turned to Aaron.

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<v Speaker 2>And Miriam, All, all the elders of Israel, we need

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<v Speaker 2>to be unified and prepared.

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<v Speaker 1>The elders all gathered together. Moses looked out at them all.

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<v Speaker 1>Since he had arrived, he relied solely on Arran to

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<v Speaker 1>correspond with them. If he was being honest with himself,

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<v Speaker 1>he felt guilty commanding them. He hadn't grown up as

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<v Speaker 1>one of them, nor had he felt like he earned

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<v Speaker 1>their respect. They had no shed, toil or history. But

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<v Speaker 1>what bound them together was a calling to lead God's

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<v Speaker 1>people out of slavery. Moses drew a deep breath and

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<v Speaker 1>steadied his heartbeat.

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<v Speaker 2>The end is near, brothers, The end is near. The

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<v Speaker 2>Lord will come to night, and we must be prepared.

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<v Speaker 2>Everything must be done according to the Lord's commands.

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<v Speaker 7>Go on, Moses speak and we will listen.

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<v Speaker 2>Select lambs for yourselves and for every household in your clans.

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<v Speaker 2>Kill them as the pass of the lambs or the

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<v Speaker 2>blood into a basin. Then take his up branches and

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<v Speaker 2>dip them into the blood. Spread the blood on the doorposts.

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<v Speaker 2>When the Lord passes through Egypt, the blood will be

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<v Speaker 2>assigned for him to pass over you. When your children

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<v Speaker 2>ask about the lamb and the blood, tell them that

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<v Speaker 2>this is a sacrifice to the Lord, because he's going

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<v Speaker 2>to strike down the Egyptians and set us free. But

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<v Speaker 2>listen to me, this is important. None of you shall

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<v Speaker 2>go out of the door until morning. Under no circumstances

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<v Speaker 2>will you exit your homes.

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<v Speaker 4>What will happen in the morning, Moses.

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<v Speaker 2>In the morning, you will exit your homes, and you

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<v Speaker 2>will walk out as free men. We will leave Egypt

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<v Speaker 2>together and begin our journey to the promised Lamb.

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<v Speaker 1>Every man was silent for a long while. Then one

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<v Speaker 1>by one they fell to their knees and worshiped. Hymns

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<v Speaker 1>both ancient and Gottural poured forth from their lips. They

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<v Speaker 1>felt connected to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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<v Speaker 1>That night they began to truly act like God's chosen people.

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<v Speaker 1>The night was heavy with silence, a silence that clung

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<v Speaker 1>to the earth like a shroud. A cold wind whispered

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<v Speaker 1>through the streets of Egypt, carrying with it the scent

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<v Speaker 1>of death. Beneath the distant stars, obscured by the towering

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<v Speaker 1>temples and the grandeur of the Pharaoh's palace, a people

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<v Speaker 1>awaited the judgment of a god they had yet to understand.

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<v Speaker 1>The moon hung low over the Nile, its waters dark

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<v Speaker 1>and still, as if even the river Mighty as it was,

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<v Speaker 1>dared not stir. From the grand cities to the lowliest villages,

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<v Speaker 1>from the palatial estates of nobles to the clay walled

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<v Speaker 1>hovels of slaves, all who slept that night would wake

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<v Speaker 1>to a terror beyond reckoning. For at midnight it began.

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<v Speaker 1>A shadow passed through the streets of Egypt, unseen yet felt.

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<v Speaker 1>It was not the wind. Though the curtains moved and

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<v Speaker 1>the candles flickered in its wake. It moved with purpose,

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<v Speaker 1>slipping through doors that were left unmarked, where no Lamb's

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<v Speaker 1>blood clung to the lintel. The air grew thick, laden

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<v Speaker 1>with a weight that pressed upon the chest, that caused

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<v Speaker 1>breath to quicken and eyes to widen, in a terror

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<v Speaker 1>they could not name. In the haws of the Pharaoh,

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<v Speaker 1>guided by statues of stone and gods of gold, the

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<v Speaker 1>first cries ran out. It was a high pitched wail,

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<v Speaker 1>a cry of disbelief, of a grief so sudden and

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<v Speaker 1>so raw that it cut through the stillness like a knife.

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<v Speaker 1>The servants rushed to the bed chamber of Pharaoh's eldest son,

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<v Speaker 1>heir to the throne of Egypt, a bore boy no

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<v Speaker 1>older than ten summers. He lay there, still and pale,

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<v Speaker 1>his eyes open but unseeing, his skin cold to the touch.

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<v Speaker 1>A sob tore from the throat of the queen, and

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<v Speaker 1>the Pharaoh himself, a man who had stared down armies

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<v Speaker 1>and ruled with the weight of Ra's name upon his brow,

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<v Speaker 1>fell to his knees beside the boy's bed.

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<v Speaker 7>My my son, oper man, come with the onds, prting

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<v Speaker 7>my child back to life.

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<v Speaker 1>But the gods had been silent, the priests powerless in

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<v Speaker 1>their incantations. No breath passed between the boy's lips, and

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<v Speaker 1>no flicker of life stirred in his chest. Nothing moved

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<v Speaker 1>but the shadow passing on beyond the palace walls, the

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<v Speaker 1>whales began to rise, one by one, like the growing

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<v Speaker 1>roar of the sea in a storm. In every house

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<v Speaker 1>untouched by the blood of the lamb, the first born

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<v Speaker 1>were found cold in their beds, from the eldest son

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<v Speaker 1>of the lowliest farmer to the first born calf in

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<v Speaker 1>the fields. The land of Egypt, so proud in its splendor,

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<v Speaker 1>so sure in the power of its gods, was brought

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<v Speaker 1>low by a power it could not see nor fight

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<v Speaker 1>through it. All the Israelites watched in silence in their homes.

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<v Speaker 1>They gathered, huddled in tight circles beneath the smear of

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<v Speaker 1>blood that marked their doors, the blood of sacrifice, of obedience.

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<v Speaker 1>The old ones whispered to the young stories of their forefathers,

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<v Speaker 1>of promises made by a god more ancient than the

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<v Speaker 1>gods of Egypt, a god who had heard their cries,

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<v Speaker 1>who had seen their suffering. And now that God had answered.

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<v Speaker 1>In the deep hours of the night, when the screams

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<v Speaker 1>of grief had subsided into a hollow quiet, and Pharoh rose,

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<v Speaker 1>his face, at once proud and unyielding, was now drawn

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<v Speaker 1>tight with pain, his eyes hollowed by the weight of

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<v Speaker 1>the dead. He summoned his advisers, but they offered no counsel.

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<v Speaker 1>The magicians stood silent, their tongues stilled by fear. There

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<v Speaker 1>was no wisdom, no spell, no right that could undo

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<v Speaker 1>what had been done.

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<v Speaker 8>Bring them to me, Bring Moses and erin before me.

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<v Speaker 1>The brothers were brought to him, the tension of the

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<v Speaker 1>night still hung in the air, like smoke after a battle.

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<v Speaker 1>Pharaoh stared at them, his eyes red with sleepless grief,

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<v Speaker 1>and for a moment the room was still, save for

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<v Speaker 1>the flicker of torches. His boy was cradled in his arms,

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<v Speaker 1>lifeless and cold.

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<v Speaker 8>Go go and take your people, leave this land, take

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<v Speaker 8>your flocks, your herds, your children, and be gone. And

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<v Speaker 8>when you go, speak to your God, Pray to him

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<v Speaker 8>for me, for my people.

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<v Speaker 1>The brothers did not answer at once. They exchanged a glance,

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<v Speaker 1>a moment of understanding, as though the weight of destiny

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<v Speaker 1>pressed upon their shoulders. Aaron gave Moses a knowing glance

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<v Speaker 1>and left first, leaving Pharaoh and Moses alone. Rameses The

0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:06.040
<v Speaker 1>words were stuck in Moses's throat, his jaw tightened with

0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:10.200
<v Speaker 1>grief and anger, grief that the people he had once

0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:14.960
<v Speaker 1>called kin were mourning the loss of their children, anger

0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:18.760
<v Speaker 1>that it all could have been prevented if Pharaoh had relented.

0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:27.120
<v Speaker 9>Your what, Moses, You're sorry for my loss? Are you

0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:30.280
<v Speaker 9>saddened by the death of a generation?

0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:36.320
<v Speaker 1>Moses was still and silent. He thought of responding, but

0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:42.200
<v Speaker 1>chose not to. What was done was done without a word.

0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:46.560
<v Speaker 1>He turned and departed, leaving Pharaoh in the silence of

0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:50.640
<v Speaker 1>his broken kingdom, a king brought to his knees not

0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:55.000
<v Speaker 1>by armies, but by a plague of death sent by

0:16:55.000 --> 0:17:00.160
<v Speaker 1>a god he could neither see nor challenge outside. The

0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:03.840
<v Speaker 1>dawn was rising over Egypt, but for the people of

0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:08.120
<v Speaker 1>the Nile there would be no light that day, only

0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:14.720
<v Speaker 1>the long shadow of what had been lost.

0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:24.720
<v Speaker 6>What an astonishing tale. It reminds me of the resilience

0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:28.280
<v Speaker 6>and faith of my ancestors. I can almost hear their

0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:32.920
<v Speaker 6>whispers in the dark, families huddled together, eyes wide as

0:17:32.960 --> 0:17:36.040
<v Speaker 6>they painted their doorposts with the blood of the Lamb.

0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.719
<v Speaker 6>But it's more than just a story. It's a testament

0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:44.119
<v Speaker 6>to God's power and our faith in him. Right when

0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:48.880
<v Speaker 6>everything seemed impossible, they held onto a promise, a covenant

0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:52.320
<v Speaker 6>that would change the course of their lives. Forever. And

0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:56.080
<v Speaker 6>isn't that the essence of faith, to believe in something

0:17:56.359 --> 0:18:01.040
<v Speaker 6>greater than the present darkness, to act in obedience even

0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:05.679
<v Speaker 6>when the outcome is unknown and unseen. Passover is not

0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:10.520
<v Speaker 6>just a historical event. It's a living, breathing reminder of

0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:15.440
<v Speaker 6>our heritage, of our chosenness. It's a call to remember,

0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.840
<v Speaker 6>to honor, and to live out that same faith and

0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:23.119
<v Speaker 6>trust in every generation. We must see ourselves as those

0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:27.639
<v Speaker 6>who personally went out from Egypt, breaking free from whatever

0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:33.480
<v Speaker 6>enslaves us. That is the legacy of pesa of Passover.

0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.880
<v Speaker 6>In Exodus twelve, verse thirteen, we read, the blood will

0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:40.840
<v Speaker 6>be a sign for you on the house is where

0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:42.880
<v Speaker 6>you are, and when I see the blood, I will

0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:46.840
<v Speaker 6>pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when

0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:50.280
<v Speaker 6>I strike Egypt. Now, I want you to hear this

0:18:50.400 --> 0:18:55.600
<v Speaker 6>verse in Hebrew because it's so important. Haddam the haya

0:18:55.720 --> 0:19:03.000
<v Speaker 6>the hacotis le machrit neguesta rem ye villo alerem viva

0:19:03.200 --> 0:19:09.960
<v Speaker 6>sakhti Haddam et varaiti sham a tim asher habatim a

0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:15.840
<v Speaker 6>lam meets shrine baards. Of course, the name in English

0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:20.080
<v Speaker 6>of this holiday of Paisach comes exactly from this word,

0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:28.080
<v Speaker 6>did you hear it? Alerem vi pasakti pasa. Of course,

0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:32.560
<v Speaker 6>the name in English of this holiday Passover in Hebrew

0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:35.719
<v Speaker 6>is said paysa, and it comes directly from these words

0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:41.399
<v Speaker 6>alem pasati. And so the great sage Onkros, who was

0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:45.520
<v Speaker 6>the first translator of the Bible from Hebrew, translated the

0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:49.480
<v Speaker 6>word ufa sakti not as I will pass over, but

0:19:49.760 --> 0:19:54.800
<v Speaker 6>rather as I will have compassion or I will show love.

0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:59.399
<v Speaker 6>You see, we translate the word ufa sahti as I

0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:01.720
<v Speaker 6>will pass but it's not exactly.

0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:02.000
<v Speaker 5>What it means.

0:20:02.760 --> 0:20:06.720
<v Speaker 6>So as the final plague and the exodus approached, God

0:20:06.920 --> 0:20:12.240
<v Speaker 6>was actually announcing the love and compassion that He would

0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:15.880
<v Speaker 6>show to the Chosen people on that very special night.

0:20:16.960 --> 0:20:19.520
<v Speaker 6>You see, in many ways, that's exactly what we celebrate

0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:23.200
<v Speaker 6>on Passover. With the matsa and the other special foods

0:20:23.280 --> 0:20:27.480
<v Speaker 6>and the prayers, we celebrate God's eternal love for the

0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:31.280
<v Speaker 6>Chosen people. I once read an article by a woman

0:20:31.320 --> 0:20:35.120
<v Speaker 6>who described her journey exploring a gold mine in South Africa.

0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:39.080
<v Speaker 6>In the mine, her guide pointed out remnants of gold.

0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:42.520
<v Speaker 6>She shined her flashlight around the cave and came across

0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:45.880
<v Speaker 6>flecks of gold. Convinced that she had found the real thing,

0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:50.119
<v Speaker 6>she eagerly pointed it out to the guide. She said, look,

0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:53.919
<v Speaker 6>there are flecks of gold there. That must be gold.

0:20:54.600 --> 0:20:56.600
<v Speaker 6>But the guide laughed and said that she was looking

0:20:56.680 --> 0:21:00.240
<v Speaker 6>at fool's gold. You see, it looked like gold, but

0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:02.960
<v Speaker 6>it wasn't the genuine article. It wasn't the real thing.

0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:08.080
<v Speaker 6>Then the guide pointed out a tiny black rock and

0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:13.119
<v Speaker 6>explained that that was authentic gold, and he described the

0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:17.040
<v Speaker 6>process of turning it into gold as we know it. First,

0:21:17.119 --> 0:21:21.280
<v Speaker 6>the rock is crushed and pulverized into powder. Then cyanide,

0:21:21.320 --> 0:21:24.840
<v Speaker 6>a deadly poison, is added. Many more steps follow until

0:21:24.880 --> 0:21:29.240
<v Speaker 6>the gold achieves it's true golden hue. In the Bible,

0:21:29.359 --> 0:21:33.199
<v Speaker 6>God commanded the Israelites to commemorate the exodus from Egypt

0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:38.000
<v Speaker 6>every year with bitter herbs and matza, which is unleavened bread,

0:21:38.119 --> 0:21:42.639
<v Speaker 6>along with the Passover sacrifice. The Jewish sages explained that

0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:45.840
<v Speaker 6>while the Passover lamb and the matzar symbols of redemption,

0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:52.280
<v Speaker 6>the bitter herbs represent oppression. But God commanded us to

0:21:52.359 --> 0:21:56.159
<v Speaker 6>put both symbols together so that we'll remember one of

0:21:56.200 --> 0:22:00.520
<v Speaker 6>the most powerful lessons of the Exodus story that our

0:22:00.680 --> 0:22:06.480
<v Speaker 6>difficulties and our victories are all part of the same story.

0:22:07.520 --> 0:22:10.520
<v Speaker 6>Just as gold cannot become gold without going through a

0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:15.440
<v Speaker 6>refinement process, so too do our challenges refine us and

0:22:15.520 --> 0:22:20.080
<v Speaker 6>bring out our best. Like fools gold, people can appear

0:22:20.200 --> 0:22:25.120
<v Speaker 6>one way, but in reality be something completely different. Most

0:22:25.160 --> 0:22:27.119
<v Speaker 6>of the best people in the world have gone through

0:22:27.160 --> 0:22:30.719
<v Speaker 6>a refinement process. They've endured hard times, and they come

0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:35.040
<v Speaker 6>out better on the other side. So instead of resenting

0:22:35.280 --> 0:22:38.320
<v Speaker 6>the difficulties in our lives, I think this Bible story

0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:41.640
<v Speaker 6>teaches us that we should embrace them. God brings out

0:22:41.680 --> 0:22:45.040
<v Speaker 6>the best in us through our challenges. Even when we

0:22:45.080 --> 0:22:48.240
<v Speaker 6>feel crushed by our problems, he is turning us into

0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:53.639
<v Speaker 6>something beautiful and invaluable. At the Sator dinner during the

0:22:53.760 --> 0:22:57.000
<v Speaker 6>sacred festival of Passover, we remember the night when God

0:22:57.119 --> 0:23:01.240
<v Speaker 6>passed over the homes of the Israelites, their first borns

0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:04.399
<v Speaker 6>and setting them on a path to freedom. This is

0:23:04.440 --> 0:23:07.399
<v Speaker 6>a story woven into the very fabric of our identity,

0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:13.200
<v Speaker 6>a story of faith, courage, and redemption. When God instructed

0:23:13.320 --> 0:23:16.320
<v Speaker 6>our ancestors to take a lamb, to slaughter it, and

0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:19.520
<v Speaker 6>to paint their door posts with its blood. This act

0:23:19.560 --> 0:23:23.280
<v Speaker 6>of faith was not for his benefit. God already knew

0:23:23.400 --> 0:23:26.359
<v Speaker 6>who lived in each home. It was actually for the

0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:30.480
<v Speaker 6>benefit of the chosen people that they could demonstrate their

0:23:30.680 --> 0:23:34.920
<v Speaker 6>trust in the Almighty. Did you know that in ancient Egypt,

0:23:35.080 --> 0:23:40.000
<v Speaker 6>sheep were revered as God's When the Israelites obeyed God's command,

0:23:40.080 --> 0:23:42.560
<v Speaker 6>they weren't just marking their doors. They were making a

0:23:42.920 --> 0:23:46.800
<v Speaker 6>very bold declaration. They were placing their faith in the

0:23:46.840 --> 0:23:51.200
<v Speaker 6>God of Israel above the false gods of Egypt, and

0:23:51.320 --> 0:23:55.320
<v Speaker 6>that was risking their very lives in the process. Their

0:23:55.400 --> 0:23:59.399
<v Speaker 6>trust was rewarded. God passed over their homes in the

0:23:59.520 --> 0:24:02.959
<v Speaker 6>very next morning they began their journey to freedom. Now

0:24:03.040 --> 0:24:05.760
<v Speaker 6>let me share a lesson from creation, one that mirrors

0:24:05.800 --> 0:24:09.600
<v Speaker 6>our journey of faith. I'm reminded of another interesting article

0:24:09.680 --> 0:24:12.960
<v Speaker 6>I once read. This one was about the African antelopes

0:24:13.040 --> 0:24:17.400
<v Speaker 6>known as impalas. These graceful creatures can leap as high

0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:20.600
<v Speaker 6>as a height of ten feet, and they can cover

0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:25.159
<v Speaker 6>a distance greater than thirty feet, but in captivity and

0:24:25.280 --> 0:24:28.520
<v Speaker 6>Paula's can be contained by a mere three foot wall.

0:24:29.440 --> 0:24:32.760
<v Speaker 6>Why do you think that is, Well, it's because IMPALA's

0:24:32.880 --> 0:24:36.840
<v Speaker 6>won't jump where they cannot see, and therefore they become

0:24:36.920 --> 0:24:41.560
<v Speaker 6>the keepers of their own prison Are we really any different?

0:24:42.200 --> 0:24:45.320
<v Speaker 6>How often do we confine ourselves within the walls of fear,

0:24:45.560 --> 0:24:48.760
<v Speaker 6>unable to leap into the unknown because we can't see

0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:52.359
<v Speaker 6>what lies ahead. We become prisoners of our own making,

0:24:52.840 --> 0:24:57.080
<v Speaker 6>held back by our own lack of faith. The Chosen

0:24:57.240 --> 0:25:00.320
<v Speaker 6>People on the eve of the Exodus faced a very

0:25:00.359 --> 0:25:05.480
<v Speaker 6>similar choice. They could stay within the familiar, oppressive bounds

0:25:05.520 --> 0:25:08.280
<v Speaker 6>of Egypt, or they could take a leap of faith

0:25:08.400 --> 0:25:12.720
<v Speaker 6>into the unknown, trusting that God would lead them to freedom.

0:25:13.640 --> 0:25:16.399
<v Speaker 6>My friends, we too are called to take such leaps.

0:25:17.119 --> 0:25:20.880
<v Speaker 6>Faith isn't about seeing the whole path. It's about taking

0:25:20.960 --> 0:25:26.200
<v Speaker 6>the next step, even when the future is shrouded in uncertainty.

0:25:27.880 --> 0:25:30.960
<v Speaker 1>You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein

0:25:31.200 --> 0:25:34.440
<v Speaker 1>add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot

0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:38.640
<v Speaker 1>Com app today. This Prey dog com production is only

0:25:38.760 --> 0:25:43.240
<v Speaker 1>made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,

0:25:43.520 --> 0:25:47.399
<v Speaker 1>Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive

0:25:47.440 --> 0:25:51.119
<v Speaker 1>producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by

0:25:51.200 --> 0:25:56.119
<v Speaker 1>Alberto Avilla narrated by Paul Caltefianu. Characters are voiced by

0:25:56.240 --> 0:26:01.280
<v Speaker 1>Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Raig, Stephen Ringwold,

0:26:01.480 --> 0:26:05.000
<v Speaker 1>Sylvia Zaradoc, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.

0:26:05.359 --> 0:26:09.320
<v Speaker 1>Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and

0:26:09.440 --> 0:26:15.360
<v Speaker 1>Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb. Burrows,

0:26:15.560 --> 0:26:19.359
<v Speaker 1>Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians

0:26:19.440 --> 0:26:22.520
<v Speaker 1>and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions

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<v Speaker 1>Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.