Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: We have both come with a message from the God
Speaker 2: of Israel.
Speaker 3: What reproquested does this God have with the image.
Speaker 4: Of raw Our God has commanded that Pharaoh let his
Speaker 4: people go into the wilderness to worship.
Speaker 5: I do not know this God of yours, who is
Speaker 5: the lord that I should obey? I am the image
Speaker 5: of Rah, the Lord of the Nile.
Speaker 6: The sun rises and sets according to My greatness, God,
Speaker 6: Let your people go. Moses, I do not acknowledge this
Speaker 6: God of yours.
Speaker 7: Tread lightly.
Speaker 2: Rameses, the God of the Hebrews, will not relent me.
Speaker 8: I will hearden fellow's heart. I will show him signs
Speaker 8: of my power through you. Wonders shall descend upon you
Speaker 8: following arrows.
Speaker 1: The onlookers gasped as the clear blue green currents of
Speaker 1: the Nile began to darken. The color shifted deepened, turning
Speaker 1: from blue to a murky red. The transformation was slow,
Speaker 1: at first, almost subtle, but then it spread like fire
Speaker 1: through dry reeds. The river was becoming thick and plotted,
Speaker 1: a red so dark it was nearly black, like the
Speaker 1: blood of a freshly slain bull left too long in
Speaker 1: the sun.
Speaker 2: The lenses.
Speaker 6: Your people will feel by you being further into their rods.
Speaker 9: What my people lose in these sources will be taken
Speaker 9: from Gausa.
Speaker 10: Pharaoh stood at the banks of the bloody Knie, but
Speaker 10: it wasn't the water that was choking his people. It
Speaker 10: was Pharaoh's own pride. Shallo my friends from here in
Speaker 10: the Holy Land, i'm ya l Extein with the International
Speaker 10: Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Welcome to the Chosen People.
Speaker 10: The Nile still reeks of blood. It's waters, once the
Speaker 10: life blood of Egypt, now flows thick and red, a
Speaker 10: constant reminder that the God of Israel is not to
Speaker 10: be trifled with. Pharaoh stands on the edge of the Nile, unyielding,
Speaker 10: as if the sight of his kingdom's greatest artery bleeding
Speaker 10: before his eyes could somehow be ignored. The people murmur,
Speaker 10: their crops, their lives have already begun to wither under
Speaker 10: this first strike. But Pharaoh and his arrogance does not flinch.
Speaker 10: His heart remains hard, like a stone, like iron. Egypt
Speaker 10: waits in a terrible, uneasy silence.
Speaker 2: What's next, Moses.
Speaker 3: It's been seven days and Pharaoh has yet relent.
Speaker 1: Miriam's question hung in the heavy air, like the scent
Speaker 1: of the rotting Nile. Moses, Miriam, and Aaron stood on
Speaker 1: the wooden platform overlooking the niles still tainted waters, now
Speaker 1: as sickly brownish red. The river had once been the
Speaker 1: life blood of Egypt.
Speaker 7: But now it smelled of death.
Speaker 1: Dead fish clogged the banks, their bodies bloated and swollen,
Speaker 1: the stench of iron and wrought filling the air. Seven
Speaker 1: days had passed since the Lord had made happy the
Speaker 1: God of the Nile bleed. The crimson tide had receded,
Speaker 1: but the aftermath lingered like a warning.
Speaker 7: Unheeded.
Speaker 1: Egypt still felt the plague's bitter sting, and the people's
Speaker 1: murmurs had shifted from awe to dread.
Speaker 7: Moses stared into.
Speaker 1: The water, his mind not on the decay before him,
Speaker 1: but on the voice of the Almighty, which seemed to
Speaker 1: rise like a whisper from the river's depths.
Speaker 7: There is more to come, he knew.
Speaker 1: The Lord was not finished with Pharaoh nor with Egypt.
Speaker 1: His hand was still poised to strike again. Aaron and
Speaker 1: Miriam stepped back, giving Moses space to hear the voice.
Speaker 7: They could not.
Speaker 1: They had watched him like this before, his face taut
Speaker 1: with concentration, his eyes distant, as if straining to catch
Speaker 1: some sound just beyond their hearing. How he heard the
Speaker 1: voice of God they did not understand, but that he
Speaker 1: did they could not doubt. After a few moments of silence,
Speaker 1: Moses turned to them. His voice, when it came was
Speaker 1: soft but steady.
Speaker 2: We are to return to Pharaoh's courts with an ultimatum.
Speaker 2: Haven't we done that already?
Speaker 8: Pharaoh has refused.
Speaker 2: Many things will happen before Pharaoh bends. We must remain persistent.
Speaker 4: I'm with you, brother, Just tell me what to say
Speaker 4: and do.
Speaker 7: And I shall obey.
Speaker 3: What will be the next sign?
Speaker 1: Moses looked away for a moment and tilted his head.
Speaker 1: He sighed, then replied with a monotone voice.
Speaker 2: Frogs, frogs, Yes, frogs.
Speaker 4: I'm going to stand before the most powerful man alive
Speaker 4: and threaten him with frogs.
Speaker 2: Yes, let's go erin. I will relay the exact words
Speaker 2: and deeds to you on the way, Miriam, you return
Speaker 2: and prepare the people. Prepare them for frogs. Frogs.
Speaker 1: Miriam, Moses and Aaron ascended the wide stairs leading to
Speaker 1: the pools of Pharaoh's palace, the same pools where Moses
Speaker 1: had been drawn from the waters as an infant. Ramses
Speaker 1: was there, reclining on a stone bench, watching his children
Speaker 1: splash and play in the cool water. Now that it
Speaker 1: no longer ran red with blood, Moses couldn't help but
Speaker 1: feel a pang of memory. He could almost see himself
Speaker 1: and Ramses as boys playing in these same waters, laughing
Speaker 1: as they chased each other through the shallows. But those
Speaker 1: days were long gone, buried beneath the weight of years
Speaker 1: and the blood of slaves. The guards escorted them, but
Speaker 1: none dared touch them. Fear had begun to creep into
Speaker 1: the hearts of the Egyptians, though not yet into the
Speaker 1: heart of Pharaoh. Ramses looked up as they approached, a sneer.
Speaker 1: Curling his lips, he gestured toward the playing children and
Speaker 1: spoke with a mockery that cut through the air like
Speaker 1: a blade.
Speaker 9: Ah.
Speaker 6: You never got a chance to meet my children, Moses.
Speaker 6: But I told them stories about you. I told them
Speaker 6: how you were plucked out of this very place and spared.
Speaker 9: By my dear sister.
Speaker 6: She was a fool not to drown you, though, moment
Speaker 6: she heard your cries.
Speaker 1: Moses, ignored the slight. His eyes lingered on the children,
Speaker 1: their laughter mixing with the rippling of the water. They
Speaker 1: reminded him of the simpler times when they were brothers
Speaker 1: in all but blood.
Speaker 2: I have fond memories of these fools. You always pretended
Speaker 2: to be the sea monster, and I I would be
Speaker 2: the unsuspecting fisherman.
Speaker 6: They're enough of this. Why have you come, Moses? Let
Speaker 6: me guess more demands from your god?
Speaker 5: More thurmits.
Speaker 2: The Lord demands that you let his people go, at
Speaker 2: least for a few days, into the wilderness, so that
Speaker 2: they might worship him.
Speaker 6: Ech, you are peasant. God ruined our supply of fish
Speaker 6: and clean water for a week, but we have recovered
Speaker 6: whatever twicks you have up your sleeve.
Speaker 2: I will be ready for there will be more plagues.
Speaker 2: Ramses cannot be foolish.
Speaker 6: And what plague is to come next?
Speaker 2: Frogs?
Speaker 8: Frogs? Yes, frogs.
Speaker 1: For a moment there was silence. Then Rameses laughed, a deep,
Speaker 1: guttural laugh that echoed off the stone walls.
Speaker 6: Very well, Moses, bring your frogs. I care not Nevermund
Speaker 6: remind Moses here what he has seemed to have forgottenen.
Speaker 1: The slithery priest emerged from the shadows of the colonnade.
Speaker 1: His cat like grin almost glowed in the darkness.
Speaker 3: Frogs, you, sir, you should know, Hebrew, that frogs are
Speaker 3: a sign of blessing from the goddess has kept. They
Speaker 3: represent fertility, abundance from the Nile.
Speaker 2: There will be no blessing, Rameses. The Nile will team
Speaker 2: the frogs. It will come upon your palace, your bedroom,
Speaker 2: and the houses of all your people. They will leap
Speaker 2: into your ovens and kneading those. They will be inescapable.
Speaker 3: We do not fear your God, Hebrew. Now leave the
Speaker 3: Pharaoh before we have the guards toss you out.
Speaker 1: Moses turned to Aaron and nodded. Aaron stepped forward, his
Speaker 1: face grim with purpose. He stretched out his staff over
Speaker 1: the water. For a long moment, nothing stirred except the
Speaker 1: laughter of Ramsy's children as they splashed in the pools.
Speaker 1: Then the surface of the nile te trembled, small ripples
Speaker 1: at first, then violent bubbles. The waters churned and frothed,
Speaker 1: as if something monstrous was rising from the depths. Suddenly
Speaker 1: the frogs came, hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands.
Speaker 1: They surged from the water like a living tide, their
Speaker 1: croaks deafening, their bodies, leaping and scrambling over each other
Speaker 1: in their lad rushed to the shore. Ramses children scorned
Speaker 1: as the frogs surrounded them, swarming up the steps of
Speaker 1: the palace. Ramses leaped to his feet, his face a
Speaker 1: mask of shock.
Speaker 7: One of the servants.
Speaker 1: Grabbed a groom to swap the frogs away, but nevermund
Speaker 1: coulidly stop them.
Speaker 3: No, tho it is what bidden to kill dwarves? Do
Speaker 3: you want to anger the cat and her husband?
Speaker 9: The great guard?
Speaker 8: Room?
Speaker 7: Who will with at the angle of the guard.
Speaker 1: Moses and Aaron turned up the stairs to leave Pharaoh
Speaker 1: in his household in disarray. He was not long before
Speaker 1: every pond, river and canal was overflowing with frogs. They
Speaker 1: leapt into each hole, dying under their own weight and
Speaker 1: filling the streets with blood. Days passed, and the once
Speaker 1: lively croaking of frogs turned to a nightmarish chorus. The
Speaker 1: stench of death filled the air as the frogs began
Speaker 1: to die, their bodies littering the streets, clogging the gutters,
Speaker 1: rotting under the relentless Egyptian sun. The people of Egypt
Speaker 1: were driven to madness by the sound and the smell.
Speaker 1: But still Pharaoh's heart did not bend. Rameses, his composure slipping,
Speaker 1: turned to Nebermund, his voice low and dangerous.
Speaker 6: How do we con thrall these?
Speaker 7: Neebermunn? Is there any power on God's or for us
Speaker 7: to combat this?
Speaker 3: Yes, Pharaoh, these are mere tricks.
Speaker 6: You see.
Speaker 3: Our magicians have been able to conjure similar things from
Speaker 3: the water. We too can make frogs appear.
Speaker 11: Do not tell me that you have made more frogs
Speaker 11: up here. That is the last thing I want from you.
Speaker 11: I am telling you to make it stop.
Speaker 7: We cannot not fallow.
Speaker 3: It seems to be, of course, outside of our control.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh through an urn against the palace wall. Its shattered
Speaker 1: pieces fell upon dozens of frogs hopping against the wall's edge.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's chest rose and fell with rage.
Speaker 2: Blague me Moses at once.
Speaker 1: Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh, the great halls of
Speaker 1: the palace overrun by frogs. The croaking was deafening, the
Speaker 1: stench unbearable. Rameses sat on his throne, his eyes bloodshot,
Speaker 1: his face gaunt with sleepless nights. He leaned forward, his
Speaker 1: voice hoarse with desperation.
Speaker 9: Pray to your God to make these frogs disappear.
Speaker 2: You know the terms, Pharaoh, fine, I.
Speaker 6: Shall allow your people to go offer sacrifices in the wilderness.
Speaker 6: Just make these madness anne.
Speaker 1: Moses could see the cracks forming in Pharaoh's resolve, the
Speaker 1: weariness in his eyes. He pitied the man with a
Speaker 1: familiar brotherly affection.
Speaker 2: I will leave you with the honor of sitting the time.
Speaker 2: When would you like me to pray for you and
Speaker 2: your officials. Once I pray, the frogs will retreat to
Speaker 2: the Nile's the war as you wish.
Speaker 1: The next day, Moses cried out to the Lord, and
Speaker 1: the frogs died where they lay. The streets of Egypt
Speaker 1: were clogged with their bodies, a testament to the Lord's
Speaker 1: dominion over the gods of the Nile. Yet even in
Speaker 1: the face of this, Pharaoh's heart hardened once more. He
Speaker 1: withdrew his promise, refusing to let the Hebrews go. The
Speaker 1: Lord knew that Pharaoh's heart was hardened. He refused to bend,
Speaker 1: and things that don't bend tend to break. The Lord
Speaker 1: came again to Moses and declared the next.
Speaker 8: Move, tell eron to stretch out his sturf and strike
Speaker 8: the dust of the ground throughout the land of Egypt.
Speaker 8: The dust would become nurds Arun did as commanded.
Speaker 1: He came before Pharaoh's feet with his star firmly held
Speaker 1: in his hand. In one fell swoop, he struck the earth.
Speaker 1: The dust rose in great clouds, twisting and writhing in
Speaker 1: the air, before transforming into a swarm of gnats. They
Speaker 1: descended upon Egypt, covering man and beast alike. The buzzing
Speaker 1: was incessant, filling the air with an endless drone that
Speaker 1: round out all the thought. The fields lay empty, the
Speaker 1: workers driven mad by the swarm, and even the mighty
Speaker 1: Pharaoh could find no refuge from the gnats that plagued
Speaker 1: his land. Ramses sat brooding in the cool shadows of
Speaker 1: his palace, his heart a cauldron of rage and denial.
Speaker 1: The scent of decay and blood lingered on the air.
Speaker 1: The remains of the frogs, their putrid corpses now rotting
Speaker 1: beneath the relentless sun, mixed with the buzzing of the
Speaker 1: gnats that still swarmed around him. It was a constant,
Speaker 1: maddening hum. No corner of his palace was free from
Speaker 1: the relentless sound, no refuge from the itching bites that
Speaker 1: covered his skin. Pharaoh, the living god of Egypt, had
Speaker 1: become a man tormented by insects. Rameses clenched his fists,
Speaker 1: his knuckles white, as Nebermund stood beside him, powerless and pale,
Speaker 1: swatting at the gnats with desperate futility.
Speaker 6: Ah, can you do nothing about this.
Speaker 7: My lord?
Speaker 3: We have called upon a Ghip, the god of the earth,
Speaker 3: but he does not answer. These gnats. They are beyond
Speaker 3: our control. This is not the work of any magic
Speaker 3: known to our priests. The gods remained silent.
Speaker 1: Ramsey's eyes blazed with fury, though beneath the anger there
Speaker 1: was something else.
Speaker 7: Fear.
Speaker 1: It gnawdered him like a rat in the dark, eating away.
Speaker 7: At his confidence. But he would not show it.
Speaker 1: He was Pharaoh, He was the god King, unbowed and unbreakable.
Speaker 1: Yet Moses, the name tasted bitter on Rameses's tongue. Moses,
Speaker 1: the boy who had once played in these pools, who
Speaker 1: had grown up in his palace, had become his greatest adversary,
Speaker 1: wielding the power of a god he did not know
Speaker 1: or understand, and Now this God of Moses was stripping
Speaker 1: away the layers of his divinity, exposing him not as
Speaker 1: a deity but as a man who could not command
Speaker 1: the dust of the earth or the creatures of the air.
Speaker 1: Nebermund shifted nervously, clearing his throat, as if to break
Speaker 1: the tension.
Speaker 7: That hung in the air.
Speaker 3: Perhaps, my lord, it is time to.
Speaker 7: Reconsider Moses and his God. They are relentless.
Speaker 3: Each plague has grown worse and the people.
Speaker 6: Do you suggest I bend to that peasant god.
Speaker 9: He will not break me.
Speaker 5: I will crush him beneath the heel of Egypt.
Speaker 2: He is nothing but a dog, an insect calling.
Speaker 6: At my feet.
Speaker 12: Of course, for you are the Lord of the Nile
Speaker 12: and image of raw, I suggest you best Moses and
Speaker 12: his God in a battle of wits, off with a
Speaker 12: lip service.
Speaker 1: Perhaps that morning Moses and Aaron met Pharaoh by the
Speaker 1: banks of the Nile. He was floating on a pontoon
Speaker 1: to escape the gnats emerging from the dust, fanned beside
Speaker 1: him at all times, keeping the bugs at bay. But
Speaker 1: the Lord would not ease up on Pharaoh. He would
Speaker 1: continue to press him until he broke. Aaron spoke on
Speaker 1: behalf of Moses shouting across the Nile to Pharaoh. Aaron's
Speaker 1: voice was like metal to stone to Pharaoh's ears.
Speaker 4: Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, let my people go so
Speaker 4: they may worship me in the wilderness. If you do
Speaker 4: not let my people go, I will send a swarm
Speaker 4: of flies on you and all your officials.
Speaker 2: Every home will be swarmed with flies.
Speaker 7: The ground will be dark with them.
Speaker 3: Capri, the god of motion and rebirth, takes the form
Speaker 3: of a fly. Sheep would never lay a hand on
Speaker 3: Pharaoh's people.
Speaker 2: Fools, have you learned nothing.
Speaker 3: It is you who seems to have not learned. Slave
Speaker 3: Pharaoh is inevitable.
Speaker 4: When the flies come, the Lord will deal differently in
Speaker 4: the land of Goshen, Thus says the Lord. No flies
Speaker 4: will swarm when my people dwell. I will make a
Speaker 4: distinction between my people and your people. Then you will
Speaker 4: understand who has the power here in this land.
Speaker 1: Moses and Aaron gave no room for response. They turned
Speaker 1: and departed from Pharaoh. The following day, the flies came.
Speaker 1: Dense swarms poured into Pharaoh's palace, darkening the air. Their
Speaker 1: buzzing and near deafening roar. They swept through the streets
Speaker 1: of Egypt, covering the land like a plague of shadows.
Speaker 1: The skies turned black with their numbers, and the people
Speaker 1: were driven to madness as the insects filled their home,
Speaker 1: their mouths, their very beds. No corner of Egypt was spared.
Speaker 1: Yet in Goshen, where the Hebrews dwelled, the air remained clear.
Speaker 1: Not a single fly buzzed in the fields, and the
Speaker 1: people went about their work unhindered.
Speaker 7: This was no accident.
Speaker 1: It was a sign, a message to Pharaoh and all
Speaker 1: of Egypt. The God of Israel was a god who
Speaker 1: could protect his own, while the gods of Egypt were
Speaker 1: powerless to protect even their so called god. King in
Speaker 1: the palace, Pharaoh's composure shattered. His servants wailed, swatting futilely
Speaker 1: at the swarms. The air was thick with the smell
Speaker 1: of decay and fear. Rameses once the image of divinity
Speaker 1: was reduced to pacing in frustration, his robes stained with sweat,
Speaker 1: his eyes wild with fury. He pointed at Moses with
Speaker 1: the crook of his hand and shouted.
Speaker 9: Now, your people to sacrifice to their god. Yet they
Speaker 9: must do so within my borders, No.
Speaker 2: Rameses, it cannot happen that way. The sacrifices we offer
Speaker 2: the Lord, our God, would be detestable to the Egyptians.
Speaker 2: If we worship our God within your borders, it would
Speaker 2: create turmoil.
Speaker 7: You can stone us.
Speaker 2: We must make a three day journey into the wilderness.
Speaker 2: Very will, I will let you go into the wilderness.
Speaker 6: Now, pray for me at once.
Speaker 2: Pray for the flies to cease. As soon as I leave,
Speaker 2: I shall. How can I trust it you'll act deceitfully?
Speaker 2: How can we trust it you won't go back on
Speaker 2: your word.
Speaker 6: I guess that's the risk you'll have to take.
Speaker 9: Leave me.
Speaker 6: Pray for the flies to cease.
Speaker 7: See what I declay?
Speaker 1: With a slow nod, Moses turned and left the throne room, Aaron.
Speaker 7: Following close behind.
Speaker 1: That very day, Moses called out to the Lord, and
Speaker 1: the flies ceased. The air cleared, and the people of
Speaker 1: Egypt breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yet, as the
Speaker 1: silence settled over the land and the streets began to
Speaker 1: clear of the dead insects, Rameses's heart hardened once more.
Speaker 1: He would not let the Hebrews go. His pride, his
Speaker 1: belief in his own divinity would not allow him to bend.
Speaker 1: The Lord watched, and he knew that Rameses's defiance had
Speaker 1: not yet reached its peak. Pharaoh still clung to the
Speaker 1: illusion of his power, still believed he could withstand the
Speaker 1: judgment that had already begun to fall upon him like
Speaker 1: a hammer upon iron. But the gods of Egypt were
Speaker 1: crumbling one by one, and soon there would be nothing
Speaker 1: left but dust and broken idols. The God of Israel
Speaker 1: would not relent. The plagues were far from over.
Speaker 10: What a story, the tension, the defiance, and then God's
Speaker 10: raw power. It's staggering. Pharaoh's stubbornness and his refusal to
Speaker 10: see the truth is infuriating, with much worse yet to come,
Speaker 10: and still he won't bend. It's terrifying to see someone
Speaker 10: at the edge, watching his world fall apart in yet
Speaker 10: he clings to his pride like lifeline. And there's the waiting,
Speaker 10: the pause between plagues, when the land holds its breath,
Speaker 10: waiting to see what will happen next. But Pharaoh's heart
Speaker 10: is hard, and with each act of resistance, you know
Speaker 10: that isn't done. The worst is still ahead. But now
Speaker 10: let's talk about the plagues. The plagues you probably learned
Speaker 10: about them in Sunday school. But what can we learn
Speaker 10: today as the Chosen people, about the first wave of
Speaker 10: plagues that God sent to Egypt that maybe you didn't
Speaker 10: think about before. The famous nineteenth century Rabbi Samson Raphael
Speaker 10: Hirsch paints an interesting picture of the plague of frogs.
Speaker 10: Rebbi Hirsch explains that generally the frog is a timid,
Speaker 10: lowly animal. Frogs are frightened of people. They hop away
Speaker 10: from a human who tries to approach. But during the
Speaker 10: Plague of frogs, thousands upon thousands of frogs descended upon Egypt,
Speaker 10: and these frogs are anything but timid. There are frogs everywhere,
Speaker 10: croaking away, jumping into people's food, hopping into beds. Frogs everywhere.
Speaker 10: But what does this plague demonstrate to the Egyptians? Rebbi
Speaker 10: Heirs says that it speaks to them about slave He
Speaker 10: said that slave owners justify having slaves with two arguments. First,
Speaker 10: they argue that the slave owner belongs to an altogether
Speaker 10: higher order of human beings, and second, they argue that
Speaker 10: power and riches permit a slave owner to literally be
Speaker 10: lured over their slaves, while the frogs dispelled this notion.
Speaker 10: As rebbei Hirsch put it, they boldly entered the precincts
Speaker 10: of human beings and hopped all over them, including upon
Speaker 10: Pharaoh himself upon the throne. The plague of frogs was
Speaker 10: meant to teach the Egyptians, says Rebbi Hirsh, that even
Speaker 10: the lowliest animal had lost all respect for them and
Speaker 10: their overbearing arrogance over their Hebrew slaves. When Jewish children
Speaker 10: learn of the plagues each Passover during the sat Or dinner,
Speaker 10: they are taking part in an education that has been
Speaker 10: going on for thousands of years, in education of another
Speaker 10: generation of the Chosen People, who are telling over this
Speaker 10: story to the next generation.
Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 10: The plague of Nantz is a turning point in the
Speaker 10: education of Pharaoh and his magicians. So far, Pharaoh's magicians
Speaker 10: had been able to duplicate the first two plagues with
Speaker 10: their magic, the plagues of blood and frogs. But here
Speaker 10: the Bible tells us that they could not. Verse nineteen
Speaker 10: tells us that they said, quote this is the finger
Speaker 10: of God end quote. Suddenly, Pharaoh's magicians realize that what
Speaker 10: is happening goes far beyond magic. The Egyptians are beginning
Speaker 10: to understand.
Speaker 2: That there is a power in the world, the power
Speaker 2: of God, that is far.
Speaker 10: Stronger than anything the best magicians could conjure. Have you
Speaker 10: had moments in life where something amazing happened and you
Speaker 10: were at tempted to cry out, quote, this is the
Speaker 10: finger of God end quote. I know I have, and
Speaker 10: I hope that this Bible study that we're doing together
Speaker 10: each day helps you to see God's finger.
Speaker 2: Everywhere in your life. I know it helps me.
Speaker 10: In Hebrew, the fourth plague is called rov. There are
Speaker 10: two schools of thought and Jewish tradition about the translation
Speaker 10: of this word. Some say that it means swarms of flies,
Speaker 10: and this is a translation found in many English versions
Speaker 10: of the Bible as well. But another school of thoughts
Speaker 10: suggests that this plague was a mixture of wild beasts
Speaker 10: roaming Egypt. But whichever plague it was, this was a
Speaker 10: very destructive plague. And there's something else here. The Bible
Speaker 10: specifically states that this plague stopped right at the border
Speaker 10: between Egypt proper and the land of Gashen, where the
Speaker 10: Israelites lived. The Jewish sages point out that this plague
Speaker 10: clearly announced that God is involved directly and intimately with
Speaker 10: the world. God chose to stop the flies or the
Speaker 10: wild beast before they could attack the chosen people. This
Speaker 10: message is so relevant to all of us today. God
Speaker 10: is not just the God of the cosmos. He is
Speaker 10: the God of what happens with each and every person
Speaker 10: and each nation every single day. For me, that's a
Speaker 10: really comforting thought. Do you feel that comfort as well,
Speaker 10: that God of the infinite universe also cares about you,
Speaker 10: that He cares about us wherever we are today. Earlier
Speaker 10: I mentioned Ray by Samson Raffel Hirsh. Ra By Hirsh
Speaker 10: saw a pattern in the plagues. He believed that the
Speaker 10: plagues escalated deliberately from discomfort to catastrophe. And why was
Speaker 10: that well, because God is patient. God gave Pharaoh time
Speaker 10: to repent, time to turn back, but with each refusal,
Speaker 10: chaos grew, until Egypt was engulfed in more than punishment,
Speaker 10: It was engulfed in its own, slow, deliberate unraveling. God's
Speaker 10: mysterious plagues weren't random, they weren't half hazard. They were
Speaker 10: God creating order amidst the chaos of Egypt. Creation amidst
Speaker 10: decreation life amidst death, and through it all God showed
Speaker 10: his justice, his patience, and his ultimate authority over the universe.
Speaker 10: These plagues show us today what can happen when we
Speaker 10: forget the giver of life, and they also remind us
Speaker 10: that there's always.
Speaker 2: A way to God.
Speaker 10: If only Pharaoh had chosen it, the Egyptian people wouldn't
Speaker 10: have suffered so very much.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile 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 bre 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 Yile Eckstein, please rate and
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