Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: 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 3: Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the
Speaker 3: shape of anything in the heavens above, the earth below,
Speaker 3: or the waters under the earth.
Speaker 4: My God, you are the god of our fathers, of Abraham,
Speaker 4: Isaac and Jacob, the one who has brought us from
Speaker 4: our misery in Egypt.
Speaker 5: Your servant and your people stand before you.
Speaker 2: Moses, my servant, come to me on the mountain.
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 entered the fray. Moses, sensing his brother's anxiety, turned
Speaker 1: to him and nodded, see you soon, brother. Aaron opened
Speaker 1: his mouth to speak, but for once he was at
Speaker 1: a loss for words. He simply nodded and watched the
Speaker 1: two 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.
Speaker 6: Trust in Moses, Trust Lord?
Speaker 7: How can we trust what we cannot see?
Speaker 5: Where is our God?
Speaker 8: We could see the gods of Egypt, we had statues.
Speaker 5: Temples and monuments.
Speaker 2: Is the Lord a nomad? Does he come and go
Speaker 2: like Moses?
Speaker 1: Aaron paused and considered it all. A small seed of
Speaker 1: doubt began to creep its way into his heart.
Speaker 9: When faith falters, gold tempts the wandering heart. Cello, my friends,
Speaker 9: from here in the holy land of Israel, i'm ya
Speaker 9: l Eckstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Speaker 9: Welcome to the Chosen people. We find ourselves at the
Speaker 9: foot of Mount Sinai. The children of Israel are ancestors,
Speaker 9: have seen the sea split and tasted manna from the heavens,
Speaker 9: and now they wait, shrouded in uncertainty. As Moses ascends
Speaker 9: the mountain, he lingers upon the mountain tap, and with
Speaker 9: each passing day, the people's resolves begins to unravel. Fear
Speaker 9: creeps in, whispering doubt into their hearts. When God feels distant,
Speaker 9: my friends, what fills the void?
Speaker 1: Moses and Hosher had been gone for almost forty days,
Speaker 1: and Aaron and Hoo faithfully carried out the leadership of
Speaker 1: the people in this stead. Her sighed a little too
Speaker 1: loudly for Aaron's liking as he called the next man forward.
Speaker 7: H whoever is next step forward.
Speaker 6: Speak, my son, we are listening.
Speaker 1: Aaron and Hoo had been listening to complaints all day.
Speaker 1: Who's patience was clearly thinning, and Aaron made a mental
Speaker 1: note to address it with his nephew later. Aaron understood
Speaker 1: the importance of maintaining peace and unity. He had been
Speaker 1: the people's voice and sounding board for decades, much longer
Speaker 1: than Moses. Not that he was complaining. Aaron would never complain.
Speaker 1: He was happy to keep the peace until his brother
Speaker 1: returned from the mountain. And if this man a lowly shepherd,
Speaker 1: by the look of him, had made it through to
Speaker 1: their tent. His words must be worth hearing.
Speaker 5: Well, my lords, it's not so much a complaint, more
Speaker 5: a concern.
Speaker 6: What do you mean, Go ahead, my son, we will
Speaker 6: hear your concern.
Speaker 5: Well, we've been talking. Members of my tribe in me
Speaker 5: what do we do if we're attacked? Here at the
Speaker 5: thought of the mountain. We're sitting by the only fresh
Speaker 5: water for miles, the stream that flows down from the mountain.
Speaker 7: You see, half the shepherds of your tribe reported anything
Speaker 7: that we should know of an approaching army roaming nomads.
Speaker 7: Our scouts have not reported anything to us.
Speaker 6: No, continue, my son, I sense there is more on
Speaker 6: your mind. Let us hear it.
Speaker 5: It's just Lord Moses hasn't come back yet. It's been
Speaker 5: over a month. It was starting to wonder, what if
Speaker 5: it doesn't come.
Speaker 7: Back, he will come back. I myself was there when
Speaker 7: he told us to wait for him and that he
Speaker 7: would return. It wasn't just me who heard those words.
Speaker 7: It was all seventy of the appointed elders.
Speaker 5: All right, forgive me, but we just haven't heard anything since.
Speaker 5: So how could we say for certain? What if something happened.
Speaker 5: I mean, he could be dead or captured, or maybe
Speaker 5: he left. I just think, well, it's not just me.
Speaker 5: A lot of us have been talking. We need a
Speaker 5: standing of some kind. Meaning no offense to you, of course,
Speaker 5: it's just that if there isn't it, Oh, if Lord
Speaker 5: Moses never comes back, if people need to rally round
Speaker 5: a representative of our God. Eh, like Moses, he led
Speaker 5: us out of Egypt and brought us victory after victory,
Speaker 5: the one who will lead us into future battles as
Speaker 5: we take our promise.
Speaker 6: Man, who or what exactly are you suggesting would be
Speaker 6: an appropriate standing for the task you are implying, my sirn.
Speaker 5: Make us a god, Lord Aarin. The people need it. Oh,
Speaker 5: they'll lose heart. Maybe God will put Moses's spirit inside
Speaker 5: it and he'll inspire the people as Moses did.
Speaker 7: You cannot be.
Speaker 6: Who mentioned others share your concern? How many others feel
Speaker 6: this way?
Speaker 5: Well, Lord Aaron, I've talked to men in every tribe
Speaker 5: about this, and I wasn't the first to have the idea,
Speaker 5: mind you, but I wanted to bring it to you
Speaker 5: lords so you could sanction it. They didn't sit right
Speaker 5: with the others talking and making idols themselves. I remember
Speaker 5: what armor God told.
Speaker 7: Us, but how would this be anything?
Speaker 6: Thank you, Thank you, you are wise to bring this
Speaker 6: to our attention. You may go. We will consider what
Speaker 6: you've said.
Speaker 1: Hoor shot Aaron A look a mix of exasperation, disbelief,
Speaker 1: and betrayal. But Aaron's answering look shut down any further
Speaker 1: protest who didn't seem to grasp the political weight of
Speaker 1: this man's words. Holding power over two million people was
Speaker 1: a delicate balance. The truth of the matter was that
Speaker 1: Aaron had been considering this very thing for quite some time.
Speaker 1: None of them were as connected to the Lord as
Speaker 1: Moses was. He was the conduit by which they communed
Speaker 1: with him. With Moses gone and up the mountain, Aaron
Speaker 1: feared that the people would lose their way.
Speaker 6: Go and spread the word to all who share your concerns.
Speaker 6: Bring me gold, a supply of gold. With this gold,
Speaker 6: I will do as you ask. Take the gold rings
Speaker 6: from the ears of your wives, your sons, your daughters,
Speaker 6: and bring them to me.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Lord Erin, thank you for hearing our concerns.
Speaker 5: I'll go and do as you asked and return.
Speaker 1: The man practically skipped away. In his eagerness. Aaron slumped
Speaker 1: in his seat when he had gone, and ran both
Speaker 1: hands down his long face. He sent the other elders
Speaker 1: and attendants away so that he and his nephew were
Speaker 1: alone in the tent together. Aaron then silently counted in
Speaker 1: his head to see how many seconds it would take
Speaker 1: for her to start scolding him.
Speaker 6: One. Two, and what are you thinking?
Speaker 7: Uncle?
Speaker 6: Three?
Speaker 7: You hurt the commandments and participated in the covenant, same
Speaker 7: as I. We can't sanction this.
Speaker 10: This is treasonous, this is idolatry, this is sin.
Speaker 6: Calmed down her. They only want a symbol to guide them.
Speaker 6: Moses's presence is a comfort to them, and I don't
Speaker 6: blame them. Look at all we've been through, they're still
Speaker 6: going to be worshiping our God.
Speaker 7: How long until they fall back on their old ways,
Speaker 7: the ways of the Egyptians. The'll worship what's in front
Speaker 7: of them and forget their god. And one of the
Speaker 7: second commandments, we're forbidden from making idols.
Speaker 6: Oh, it's a symbol, a stand in for Moses, just
Speaker 6: until he gets back, and he will get back. I mean,
Speaker 6: why do you think I sent the man off to
Speaker 6: find gold? Think our people can scrounge up enough gold
Speaker 6: for me to make an image of some cow. I'm
Speaker 6: buying us time. That's what I'm doing. Moses could be
Speaker 6: back any day.
Speaker 10: Now, that's your plan an elaborate though tactic.
Speaker 7: What would my mother say?
Speaker 6: Don't evoke your mother to intimidate me. I'm not afraid
Speaker 6: of her.
Speaker 7: Then, why don't you go and tell her your little plan.
Speaker 6: I'll go with you, fine, I will not that it matters.
Speaker 6: Moses didn't appoint her to lead in his stead. He
Speaker 6: picked me.
Speaker 7: It was a joint appointment, if you recall uncle.
Speaker 1: Her closed the gap between them until he was nose
Speaker 1: to nose with his uncle, their breaths mingling, tension hanging
Speaker 1: by a thread. Then Aaron's instinct for self preservation kicked
Speaker 1: in and he stepped back. A fight could cost him
Speaker 1: his nephew's support, especially since her now led their tribe.
Speaker 1: Aaron took a steadying breath, plastering on his most amiable smile.
Speaker 6: Peace, nephew. Let us reconvene tomorrow and let cooler heads prevail.
Speaker 6: We shall see if the disgruntles can even complete the
Speaker 6: task I gave them. Can You never know? Perhaps Our
Speaker 6: God has heard our little disagreement and is sending Moses
Speaker 6: back right as we speak.
Speaker 7: Testing God doesn't seem like the smartest plan either, but
Speaker 7: I'll leave out of respect for you until tomorrow.
Speaker 1: Aaron struggled to keep the panic from his face as
Speaker 1: the man from the day before pulled handful after handful
Speaker 1: of gold from his satchel, one of five he had
Speaker 1: to empty. He could almost feel Miriam's disapproving glare and
Speaker 1: dreaded the fury on his nephew's face. Think, Think, how
Speaker 1: could he talk his way out of this? The man
Speaker 1: held the final satchel, spilling its contents dramatically onto the
Speaker 1: growing pile of gold at Aaron's feet. He turned to
Speaker 1: the crowd triumphant, and they cheered as Aaron's heart sank.
Speaker 1: This could become a mob fast. He needed to channel
Speaker 1: this momentum before it slipped out of control.
Speaker 6: My children, well done. I will form this gold into
Speaker 6: a symbol for our beloved Moses. May he returned to
Speaker 6: us safely and swiftly.
Speaker 1: The crowd cheered wildly. Aaron confident he bought himself a
Speaker 1: few more days with the time it would take to
Speaker 1: melt the gold and build a mold, dismissed the crowd
Speaker 1: and then signaled for his attendants to collect the gold.
Speaker 1: But as his back was turned, the brazen man turned
Speaker 1: and addressed the crowd himself.
Speaker 5: And what should our mighty symbol be? What will represent
Speaker 5: Israel as we ride to claim the land promised to us? Yes,
Speaker 5: a young bull or an emerging nation?
Speaker 4: Ah?
Speaker 5: Whill does the image of a young ball a golden
Speaker 5: calf for the strength and fertility of Israel?
Speaker 1: The crowd cheered and stamped their feet At that, Aaron's
Speaker 1: eyes narrowed on the mob's.
Speaker 3: Leader before him.
Speaker 1: He would need to keep an eye on this one.
Speaker 6: Tell me, my son, what is your name? Tobia?
Speaker 5: Lord Larin, I'm a shepherd of the tribe of Simeon.
Speaker 2: Tobia.
Speaker 1: Tobia who led no tribe, yet could rally a crowd
Speaker 1: like this. Aaron knew he'd have to stay one step
Speaker 1: ahead of him, and if it all went wrong, Tobia
Speaker 1: would be out front enough to take the fourth. Aaron
Speaker 1: smiled his politician smile and clasped his long bony fingers
Speaker 1: on Tobia's shoulder.
Speaker 11: Ah, Tobia, a man of the people, you have heard
Speaker 11: the cry of your neighbor's concern and have wisely sought
Speaker 11: out a solution. You shall help me prepare the golden calf,
Speaker 11: Lord Aaron.
Speaker 2: You honor me.
Speaker 5: I will stand at your side and do whatever you ask.
Speaker 1: Aaron smiled good. He ordered the people to build a
Speaker 1: great fire, readying ovens to melt the gold to buy it.
Speaker 1: Brought forth a blacksmith, who instructed the men to use
Speaker 1: charcoal and blowpipes to intensify the flames. Gold was placed
Speaker 1: in crucibles, and the blacksmith began crafting a mold for
Speaker 1: the golden calf. Aaron stood back from the eager men
Speaker 1: stoking and feeding the hungry flames. The heat radiated, and
Speaker 1: he felt a sheen of sweat beginning to form.
Speaker 2: On his skin.
Speaker 1: Aaron, for the life of him, could not think of
Speaker 1: another way to store the inevitable or halt the task
Speaker 1: from being completed without provoking the fury of the crowd.
Speaker 1: At last, the blacksmith handed Aaron an engraving tool, expecting
Speaker 1: him to complete the calf's features. He gripped the tool,
Speaker 1: sway beating on his brow as he remembered the thunder
Speaker 1: and darkness on the mountain. He could not fathom the
Speaker 1: wrath of his god, if that were only an introduction.
Speaker 1: But then he also saw the zeal of followers standing
Speaker 1: before him in anticipation. They had hung on every word.
Speaker 1: They were ready to do whatever he asked. Aaron held
Speaker 1: no staff, He wasn't standing beside another. The masses were
Speaker 1: focused solely on him. They had followed his instructions so far.
Speaker 1: Perhaps if he were careful, he would keep them on
Speaker 1: the straight and narrow of this precarious situation. Carefully, Aaron
Speaker 1: lifted the tool and carved the calf's ears. Aaron watched
Speaker 1: stringy spirals of gold flake off as he carved.
Speaker 2: He kept the.
Speaker 1: Details minimal, relying on memory. He was no artist. When finished,
Speaker 1: he stepped back, satisfied there was no mistaking the animal
Speaker 1: he'd shaped. The calf stood about two feet tall and
Speaker 1: three feet long. To buyer approached, inspecting it closely, before
Speaker 1: turning to the crowd and shouting in triumph.
Speaker 5: Afrael, this is your God who brought you up from
Speaker 5: the land of Egypt.
Speaker 1: The crowd roared, and Aaron noticed wine skins passing through
Speaker 1: eager hands.
Speaker 11: Israel, there will be a festival to our God tomorrow.
Speaker 11: I will build an altar before our unifying symbol, so
Speaker 11: we can bow down and worship our God.
Speaker 1: The next day they did as Aaron had instructed, offering
Speaker 1: burnt offerings before the golden calf. Food and wine flowed,
Speaker 1: and by midday the camp's moods swelled to a fever
Speaker 1: pitch like a wartime victory, but quickly descended into chaos. Aaron,
Speaker 1: head heavy and vision blurred with drink, himself watched as
Speaker 1: revel returned to depravity. Burnt offerings came fellowship offerings, a
Speaker 1: pagan tradition he thought abandoned in Egypt. As men and
Speaker 1: women lost themselves in debasement before the altar, panic gripped
Speaker 1: him as the people, once under his charge spiraled into madness,
Speaker 1: their integrity masked as worship slipped away, exposing a frenzy
Speaker 1: of fleshly desires. Thousands in complete corruption plunged deeper into darkness. Then,
Speaker 1: breaking through the noise of the crowd, emerged the voice
Speaker 1: of his older sister Erin. Turning from the fires and degeneracy,
Speaker 1: he faced Miriam and her the flames reflected in their eyes,
Speaker 1: intensifying their fury. Miriam, seething like a mother bear, spoke first.
Speaker 7: How dare you endanger this family?
Speaker 6: Speak plainly, Miriam, what conclusion have you jumped to?
Speaker 5: Can you be serious?
Speaker 7: This will not go unpunished, and burse your public support
Speaker 7: makes it impossible for us to oppose you.
Speaker 6: If we shut this down, they'll stone us and grown
Speaker 6: you her. Didn't you tell your mother what we discussed.
Speaker 6: I'm channeling the people's anxiety into this task to avoid
Speaker 6: a full blown mutiny. You see they're appeased with the solution.
Speaker 7: We no, no, don't put this on me. I warned
Speaker 7: you that this would spiral out of control.
Speaker 6: God, you see the people, Miria, you know where this leads.
Speaker 6: What alternate solution do you see here?
Speaker 10: Ah Erin, You've backed us into an impossible.
Speaker 7: Situation and the violation of the second Commandment. The people
Speaker 7: are worshiping an idol, not even one hundred feet away,
Speaker 7: one that you engraved with your own hands. How will
Speaker 7: this look to Moses, to our God?
Speaker 6: It is not an idol, It's a symbol.
Speaker 5: Call it what you want.
Speaker 7: The result will be the same, and I will not
Speaker 7: the apartment. Come on here, we need to get out
Speaker 7: of here. Mother, you would let this go, You'll have
Speaker 7: to answer for it. Whether we're here or not. Your
Speaker 7: solution is to turn a blind eye.
Speaker 1: We must act.
Speaker 7: This cannot stand.
Speaker 1: Aaron could see Miriam's calculating eyes turned from anger to
Speaker 1: fear as she measured her son's conviction.
Speaker 7: Her, My son, don't do anything rash. Look at that crowd.
Speaker 7: You will not be able to deter them.
Speaker 1: Miriam was right. The crowd grew as words spread throughout
Speaker 1: the camp. Curious onlookers gathered around the fires and eagerly
Speaker 1: joined as cups were thrust into their hands. They could
Speaker 1: do nothing now but wait for the fermented drinks to
Speaker 1: run their course. Perhaps when sleep finally took them. He
Speaker 1: could s how misplaced the calf. Turning back to Miriam
Speaker 1: and her he saw in his unyielding stance that hor
Speaker 1: wouldn't let this go. Aaron's stomach sank, knowing where Hu's
Speaker 1: righteous anger would lead.
Speaker 7: I have to try, I have to do something.
Speaker 1: Miriam tensed as her first born strode toward the amassing crowd,
Speaker 1: but did not try to stop him. Aaron similarly held
Speaker 1: back to see what would unfold. Tobia was at the
Speaker 1: head of the crowd, egging the party goers on, already
Speaker 1: lost in his cups and seemingly drunk on his newfound
Speaker 1: power of the masses.
Speaker 7: Tobia brothers and sisters of Israel.
Speaker 1: To his credit, her didn't look nervous. His anger gave
Speaker 1: him the courage to face the crowd. The crowd, however,
Speaker 1: barely noticed his approach, and Tobia didn't even turn.
Speaker 7: Brothers Sisters.
Speaker 1: Tobia to drive his point home, who gripped by his
Speaker 1: shoulder firmly to buy a turn, slowly swaying as he
Speaker 1: tried to process the furious man standing before him.
Speaker 7: What you're doing isn't right to buy a What all
Speaker 7: of you are doing is evil. This is forbidden in
Speaker 7: the eyes of our God. How quickly do you forget
Speaker 7: your promises and forsake your oath?
Speaker 1: Aaron winced that got their attention to BIA's confused gaze
Speaker 1: sharpened as he sized up the threat before him. Straightening
Speaker 1: to his full height, his towering muscular frame from years
Speaker 1: of hard labor loomed over her. Aaron gulped. Shepherds were
Speaker 1: used to fending off lions and bears, who would stand
Speaker 1: little chance if to buy a pi to fight augh.
Speaker 5: What is saying forbidden? It went on, need something's are
Speaker 5: you not us in excuse me, in Moses's absence.
Speaker 7: You're giving into your old ways. We're not in Egypt anymore.
Speaker 5: You and er And encouraged us to bring our goal.
Speaker 10: You told us, No, I didn't tell you to do
Speaker 10: any of this. I see, I see your true intentions.
Speaker 10: You're jealous.
Speaker 5: We haven't chosen you to lead. You all power for yourself.
Speaker 5: You want to replace Moses and can't stand anyone.
Speaker 3: In your way.
Speaker 5: You've always been a brown nosing no at all, but
Speaker 5: Moses is God. He's not here to protect you. What
Speaker 5: no mine?
Speaker 7: What are you saying?
Speaker 5: This is madness.
Speaker 8: We will not be oppressed by a man again. We
Speaker 8: are led by our God. You want to stop us
Speaker 8: from worshiping him. You're just like Pharaoh.
Speaker 1: Freighter Poor realized too late that his protests only made
Speaker 1: him sound guiltier. The flames of the burning fire pits
Speaker 1: cast a ghostly sheen over the men. Tobias stood pointing
Speaker 1: in accusation as the crowd.
Speaker 6: Chanted, right up right, up right.
Speaker 1: They all chanted, until at last, a particularly drunk worshiper
Speaker 1: sloshed their carp into Heart's face. That seemed to be
Speaker 1: the unspoken sign for the floodgates to open. Aaron did
Speaker 1: not track where the first stone came from, but it
Speaker 1: struck true. A stone found hearst temple and sent him
Speaker 1: flying onto the floor. Blood sprang from his temple. He
Speaker 1: sprang up to escape, but was quickly grabbed by tobyre
Speaker 1: and tossed into the crowd. They bound him and threw
Speaker 1: him beside one of the bonfires. The side of HER's
Speaker 1: face was singed, and he rolled to the side in agony.
Speaker 1: That's when another stone struck him, unconscious. It was hard
Speaker 1: to say if it was that second stone that killed
Speaker 1: him or the barrage that followed. Aaron caught Miriam's arm
Speaker 1: as she rushed forward, holding her back as horror gripped
Speaker 1: them both. Blood pulled beneath his head, and for a
Speaker 1: long moment they stood frozen, breath caught, watching his body battered.
Speaker 2: By the mob.
Speaker 1: When the air finally tore back into Aaron's lungs, he
Speaker 1: pulled his wailing sister away, I see panic, pushing him
Speaker 1: through the crowd. They had to escape to wait out
Speaker 1: the madness somewhere safe, But as he dragged Miriam from
Speaker 1: the scene, he wondered if there was any coming back
Speaker 1: from this. In his heart, he knew they hadn't seen
Speaker 1: the last of the violence. He knew he had made
Speaker 1: a grave mistake.
Speaker 9: I am so deeply moved by this episode. It makes
Speaker 9: me ache for our ancestors and for us us. How
Speaker 9: quickly we can lose sight of our faith? How easy
Speaker 9: is it to become consumed by doubt and fear. How
Speaker 9: often do we too craft idols in the form of success, security,
Speaker 9: or approval. When God's voice seems silent, do we feel
Speaker 9: that silence with our own misguided desires. This episode challenges
Speaker 9: me to reflect on the fragility of faith and the
Speaker 9: strength that it takes to stay true to our covenant.
Speaker 9: This ancient story echoes throughout time, urging us to remain
Speaker 9: steadfast and to seek the Lord above everything else. Jewish
Speaker 9: tradition has a lot to say about this story. Some
Speaker 9: opinions among our sages say that when the people demanded
Speaker 9: the golden calf, it was meant as a substitute for
Speaker 9: their beloved leader Moses, and not as a substitute for God,
Speaker 9: which would be actual idolatry and against the commands that
Speaker 9: God had just given them. Other sages suggest that in fact,
Speaker 9: the Israelites had descended into real idolatry, the very same
Speaker 9: idolatry and immorality of Egypt that they had just left.
Speaker 9: But for both opinions, I have to ask the question,
Speaker 9: how could people who had just witnessed God's revelation at
Speaker 9: Mount Sinai in the most dramatic way now break one
Speaker 9: of the very commitments He had just given them. Jewish
Speaker 9: tradition gives a beautiful answer for this. A single intense
Speaker 9: religious experience, as marvelous and inspiring as it may be
Speaker 9: in the moment, does not have staying power. Only regular
Speaker 9: commitment to godly beliefs and actions gives us the strength
Speaker 9: to remain on the righteous path that God had said
Speaker 9: out for us. And that's still a very important lesson
Speaker 9: for us today. Yes, it's wonderful to have moments where
Speaker 9: we've truly feel God and even witness and experience his miracles,
Speaker 9: but those moments aren't all we need. We also need
Speaker 9: to study His word the Bible, which we're doing right
Speaker 9: now together, and we need to be part of godly communities,
Speaker 9: our churches and our synagogues. And I find that regularly
Speaker 9: doing good for others in need as we do here
Speaker 9: at the fellowship every day helps me see and experience
Speaker 9: God in every interaction. As people of faith. The fact
Speaker 9: that we are witnessing the fulfillment of so many prophecies
Speaker 9: from the Hebrew Bible feels almost too good to be true.
Speaker 9: The return of the people of Israel to our homeland,
Speaker 9: foretold by prophets from days old, is a beacon for
Speaker 9: the faithful, a reminder of hope, and we are all
Speaker 9: so eager to witness the next unfolding of ancient promise.
Speaker 9: We crave the next whisper from God. But when the
Speaker 9: next step in God's plan doesn't drive when or how
Speaker 9: we expect it, we can all fall into the shadow
Speaker 9: of despair. We can lose our hope, can't we. I
Speaker 9: want to leave you with another teaching from Jewish tradition.
Speaker 9: The Sages advised a lot of caution about predicting God's
Speaker 9: next fulfillment of prophecy. You see, anticipation can stir the soul,
Speaker 9: but being certain of God's timing can only lead to disappointment.
Speaker 9: We just have to trust in God in his timing,
Speaker 9: because He has carried the Chosen people this far despite
Speaker 9: all odds. We have to trust that God will fulfill
Speaker 9: his plans in his perfect timing, so let's not lose
Speaker 9: sight of the divine story already written and unfolding before us.
Speaker 9: We can learn one last lesson from our ancestors. Israelites
Speaker 9: waited as Moses ascended out Sign I, promising to return
Speaker 9: after forty days and forty nights. But Jewish tradition tells
Speaker 9: us that the Israelites miscounted by one day, and then
Speaker 9: when Moses didn't return on their expected timeline, panic set in.
Speaker 9: In their fear and impatience and their utter desperation, not
Speaker 9: wanting to be alone, not wanting to be without God,
Speaker 9: without Moses, they created the Golden Calf as a replacement
Speaker 9: for their dashed expectations. If they would have just paused,
Speaker 9: if they would have just considered the possibility that they
Speaker 9: were mistaken in the way that they counted, If the
Speaker 9: Chosen People had only trusted in the God who just
Speaker 9: miraculously delivered them, their crisis of faith might have been avoided.
Speaker 9: All they needed was patience a.
Speaker 1: Interest. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the prey
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only
Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yil Eckstein, Edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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Speaker 1: enjoyed The Chosen People with Yaile Eckstein, please rate and
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