Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Pharaoh will not let you go unless compel by a
Speaker 2: mighty hand. I will stretch out my hand and strike
Speaker 2: Egypt with all my wonders.
Speaker 3: Rameses, this is not a request let my people go.
Speaker 4: I do not know this God of yours who is
Speaker 4: the lord that I should obey. I am the image
Speaker 4: of Rah, the Lord of the Nile. The sun rises
Speaker 4: and sets.
Speaker 2: According to my Greinness. I will not let your people go.
Speaker 4: Moses, I do not acknowledge this God of yours.
Speaker 3: Treadlightly, Rameses, The God of the Hebrews will not relent.
Speaker 4: Is that a threat, Moses.
Speaker 5: It is not a threat. Promise.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh did not relent. His decree stood, and the burdens
Speaker 1: of the children of Israel grew heavier.
Speaker 2: Things have only begotn Mosis, you will see what I
Speaker 2: will do to Pharaoh. With a strong hand, he will
Speaker 2: send my children away, and with a shout, he will
Speaker 2: drive them out of this land.
Speaker 6: When the humble confront the mighty, courage and defiance, take
Speaker 6: the stage, Cello, my friends, from here in the Holy
Speaker 6: Land of Israel. I'mya l estein with the International Fellowship
Speaker 6: of Christians and Jews. Welcome to the Chosen People. Have
Speaker 6: you ever stood at the edge of a great mystery,
Speaker 6: the weight of an unknown future pressing down on you.
Speaker 6: In the heart of Egypt, under the sun's relentless gaze,
Speaker 6: a shepherd and his armed only with faith and a staff,
Speaker 6: face Pharaoh's might. What drives a man to challenge an
Speaker 6: empire although he's armed only with faith? In this ancient drama,
Speaker 6: Moses and Aaron are called to leave the Israelites from
Speaker 6: bondage and to confront the unyielding heart of Pharaoh.
Speaker 1: Moses stood by the banks of the Nile, his sandals
Speaker 1: sunk into the wet earth, His gaze locked upon a
Speaker 1: solitary stone that jutted from the water. The river surged
Speaker 1: around it relentless, yet the stone held its ground, defiant
Speaker 1: against the powerful current. Moses breathed in deeply, the humid air,
Speaker 1: filling his lungs, and waited for the voice. The reeds
Speaker 1: whispered in the wind. He heard the voice of the Lord,
Speaker 1: rustling alongside them, deep and resonant, a sound like thunder
Speaker 1: from a distant mountain.
Speaker 2: It is time to confront Pharaoh again, not as man,
Speaker 2: but as God.
Speaker 1: Moses flinched at the words, his eyes narrowing as he
Speaker 1: tried to grasp their meaning. A god. He had always
Speaker 1: considered himself a servant, a shepherd, perhaps a prophet if
Speaker 1: the Lord so willed.
Speaker 2: It, But a god.
Speaker 1: He listened, brow furrowed, his thoughts churning like the river's rapids.
Speaker 2: Pharaoh has refused to respond to me, But he will
Speaker 2: in time. For now I shall make you like a
Speaker 2: god to Pharaoh, an adversary. He can see and hear.
Speaker 2: Your brother Aaron, shall be your prophet. He shall speak
Speaker 2: and perform wonders on your behalf. He shall tell Pharaoh
Speaker 2: to let my people go.
Speaker 3: Will Pharaoh truly think of me as a god? He
Speaker 3: remembers me as a stammering child.
Speaker 2: I will harden Pharaoh's heart. I will show him signs
Speaker 2: of my power through you. Wonders shall descend upon him
Speaker 2: like fiery arrows. Yet still he will not listen. But
Speaker 2: when I lay my hand on Egypt, and the heavenly
Speaker 2: host descend upon this land, my children will be set free.
Speaker 5: They will know my.
Speaker 2: Name, They will know that I am the Lord.
Speaker 1: The divine voice faded like the wind, leaving Moses alone
Speaker 1: once more with the sounds of the river. He watched
Speaker 1: the water surge around the stone, pressing and swirling relentless
Speaker 1: in its and then before his eyes the stone shifted slowly,
Speaker 1: at first as if pushed by an invisible hand, and
Speaker 1: then with a sudden lurch, it rolled from its place
Speaker 1: and vanished beneath the rapids.
Speaker 2: The river did.
Speaker 1: Not yield, it consumed all within its path. Once again,
Speaker 1: Moses and Aaron ascended the sandstone steps of Pharaoh's court.
Speaker 1: The palace loomed above them like a mountain carved by gods,
Speaker 1: its walls etched with tales of conquest and glory. Moses
Speaker 1: felt the weight of his staff in his hand, a
Speaker 1: familiar comfort against the dread that clung to his bones.
Speaker 1: As they neared the entrance, he turned to Aaron, his
Speaker 1: eyes hard as flint.
Speaker 3: Remember what we spoke about. You go before Pharaoh and
Speaker 3: speak to him. I'll remain behind you, discerning the lord's will.
Speaker 3: A slave giving commands to a god.
Speaker 2: What could go wrong?
Speaker 3: He's no god and you are no slave. You'll learn
Speaker 3: that soon enough.
Speaker 2: I pray you're right.
Speaker 1: They climbed the final steps to Pharaoh's courtroom, and the
Speaker 1: guards parted for them. Their spears, crossing to a loud passage.
Speaker 1: It was clear they had been expected. Pharaoh wanted them there,
Speaker 1: But for what Moses's mind raced with possibilities? A trap perhaps, No.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh needed no trap. He had armies, he had prisons. No,
Speaker 1: this was something else, Moses realized with a cold certainty
Speaker 1: that settled over him like a shroud. Ramses wanted a challenge.
Speaker 1: It was not enough to heap more burdens upon the Israelites.
Speaker 1: He wanted to break Moses himself and prove his divinity
Speaker 1: by crushing them out who dared defy him. It was
Speaker 1: like they were children again before Sebet wooden swords poised
Speaker 1: to spa.
Speaker 3: I was never great sparing. If we're to prevail over Pharaoh,
Speaker 3: we'll have to take the fight to the ground.
Speaker 1: The palace halls opened before them, and the opulence of
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's court unfolded like a lavish tapestry. Dancers moved like
Speaker 1: flowing water, Musicians played flutes and harps that filled the
Speaker 1: air with haunting melodies, and nobles lounged in their fine silks,
Speaker 1: eyes sharp with intrigue. Priests and servants hurried about, muttering
Speaker 1: incantations and delivering offerings to idols, while in the center
Speaker 1: of it all sat Pharaoh upon his throne, swathed in
Speaker 1: gold and draped in the aura of a god. Beside
Speaker 1: him stood Nebermun, the chief priest, whispering words that curled
Speaker 1: like smoke into Pharaoh's ear. Aaron stepped forward, his eyes
Speaker 1: ablaze with the fire of the divine Pharaoh.
Speaker 3: Hear the commands of the Lord, Let my people go.
Speaker 1: The words echoed through the chamber, and a hush fell
Speaker 1: over the court. All eyes turned to Pharaoh, who remained
Speaker 1: still a stone, his gaze moving from Aaron to Moses.
Speaker 1: A slight curl twisted at his lips, and he whispered
Speaker 1: something to Nebermund. The priest's lips curved into a serpentine
Speaker 1: smile as he raised his chin, addressing Aaron with a
Speaker 1: voice oiled with arrogance.
Speaker 7: Bold words coming from a slave, You evoke the authority
Speaker 7: of this unknown guard without any proof of his existence.
Speaker 1: Aaron looked back at Moses as if to ask permission
Speaker 1: to continue his bold stance against Pharaoh. Moses nodded in approval.
Speaker 1: Aaron looked forward.
Speaker 2: So it is a.
Speaker 8: Sign you seek, of course, even the lesser priests east.
Speaker 9: Of the Nile can perform signs. You come here demanding
Speaker 9: something of Pharaoh, with nothing to back up your claims.
Speaker 9: Pharaoh wishes to see power.
Speaker 3: Careful what you wish for, Pharaoh.
Speaker 1: Aaron lifted his staff, holding it out with hands that
Speaker 1: did not tremble, and leveled his gaze upon the court.
Speaker 3: Behold the power of the Lord.
Speaker 1: With a sharp motion, he threw his staff to the ground.
Speaker 1: It struck the polished floor with a clatter, and the
Speaker 1: room remained still. Then the wood began to writhe twisting
Speaker 1: and coiling upon itself. Before the eyes of all gathered,
Speaker 1: it transformed into a serpent, its scales glistening in the
Speaker 1: dim light. Its fans bared. A low hiss filled the chamber,
Speaker 1: a sound that sent shivers through those nearest to it.
Speaker 1: Some of the servants recoiled in fear, but Pharaoh and
Speaker 1: Neberman remained unmoved.
Speaker 10: Ah, there we have it.
Speaker 9: Your guards can turn tweaks into servants, an amusing trick.
Speaker 1: He clapped his hands, and from the shadows stepped a
Speaker 1: group of men clad in dark robes, golden scorpions hanging
Speaker 1: from their necks. Moses recognized the sect they were magicians
Speaker 1: of the same priests, masters of the secret arts. Neberman's
Speaker 1: smile widened, stretching across his face like a slash. His
Speaker 1: voice rose, filled with the arab of one who believed
Speaker 1: himself beyond reproach.
Speaker 8: If you dare to challenge the image of Ra, the
Speaker 8: god of the Nile, our favored Lord, Pharaoh.
Speaker 9: You should have come better.
Speaker 5: Prepared the old slaves.
Speaker 3: But a taste of the power of Ra.
Speaker 1: The sorcerers stepped forward, each holding a staff of their own.
Speaker 1: They bowed low before Pharaoh, and then dropped their staffs
Speaker 1: to the floor. In their freed hands, they clutched pouches
Speaker 1: filled with dark sand. As one, they flung the sand
Speaker 1: over the staffs, chanting in low guttural tones. A cloud
Speaker 1: of black dust swirled around them, and when it cleared,
Speaker 1: each starf had become a serpent. The snakes hissed and
Speaker 1: slipped toward Aaron's, their bodies coiling twisting, ready to strike.
Speaker 1: Moses glanced stood Rameses and saw a faint smile dancing
Speaker 1: on his lips. This was what he wanted, to make
Speaker 1: a spectacle of them, to reduce them to fools in
Speaker 1: the eyes of his court. But Moses knew better. He
Speaker 1: had seen the Lord's power, he had felt it coursing
Speaker 1: through the flames that fateful day they met. Pharaoh had miscalculated.
Speaker 8: You, slates are outmatched. Remember that your twig God has
Speaker 8: no authority in these hould harms.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be so sure.
Speaker 1: All eyes turned back to the floor, where the serpents
Speaker 1: began their deadly dance. Pharaoh's serpents lunched, their fangs flashing
Speaker 1: like ivory knives. But Aaron's serpents moved with a speed
Speaker 1: and grace that belied its size. It struck with unerring precision,
Speaker 1: crushing the heads of the other side than one by one,
Speaker 1: swallowing the hole. As the coach watched in stun silence,
Speaker 1: Aaron's eyes met Pharaoh's.
Speaker 3: You may outnumber us, Pharaoh, but your numbers mean nothing
Speaker 3: to the Lord. It's slight you silence.
Speaker 4: I've heard enough of these games.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's voice shook the ground. All were silent as Pharaoh
Speaker 1: turned his chin to Moses.
Speaker 10: These mere tricks will not bend my will, Moses. I
Speaker 10: will not let your people go. Their burdens will continue
Speaker 10: to increase until their spines shatter in their whole breaks.
Speaker 10: They will know that I am Pharaoh, undisputed and unchangeable.
Speaker 10: My will is final, My resolve is as steady as
Speaker 10: the stones that built my empire. I am a god God.
Speaker 5: I will not be morphed.
Speaker 3: Do not question my power.
Speaker 1: The hole fell into a deep, tense stillness. All eyes
Speaker 1: turned to Moses, the former prince, who now stood before Pharaoh,
Speaker 1: like a shadow of defiance cast against the brilliance of
Speaker 1: the throne. Moses stepped forward, each footfall heavy with purpose,
Speaker 1: his hand reaching down to grasp the tail of the
Speaker 1: serpent that had been Aaron's staff. In his grip, the
Speaker 1: creature transformed back into a simple rod of wood, and
Speaker 1: he returned it to his brother without a word. There
Speaker 1: was a flicker of unease among the briests. Moses could
Speaker 1: see it in their eyes, a small crack in their confidence,
Speaker 1: a shift in their posture. Nebermann's gaze darted from the
Speaker 1: staff back to Moses, his lips twitching, his hands clenching
Speaker 1: the folds of his robes.
Speaker 5: You only think love power.
Speaker 1: Moses began to pay, slowly, circling the assembled priests and
Speaker 1: magicians like a wolf circling its prey. His steps were deliberate,
Speaker 1: his gaze never leaving Pharaoh.
Speaker 3: You think you have power because monuments are built in
Speaker 3: your image and servants bow at your command.
Speaker 5: You are gravely mistaken.
Speaker 3: Your chariots will fall, your swords will melt, These towers
Speaker 3: built on the backs of slaves will crumble, And when
Speaker 3: you finally realize just how powerless you are, it will
Speaker 3: be too late.
Speaker 2: You deadlatten e God.
Speaker 1: Moses stopped, turning fully to face Rameses. His voice was low,
Speaker 1: filled with a force that seemed to come from the
Speaker 1: very earth beneath them.
Speaker 3: I have met the one who alters the wind's course.
Speaker 3: Are you some wonders both terrifying and glorious. I have
Speaker 3: heard the voice that separated the mountains from the sea.
Speaker 3: You think you are a god, Pharaoh, but you are
Speaker 3: about to meet the one true God, the Alohin, the
Speaker 3: Great I am, and his name will resound through these
Speaker 3: halls like a mighty wind, tearing down every idol you
Speaker 3: have raised in your name.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's eyes blazed with wrath, his knuckles whitening as he
Speaker 1: gripped the arms of his throne. Nebermann and the other priests,
Speaker 1: who are visibly trembling now, but Pharaoh held his ground.
Speaker 2: I am the God of Egypt.
Speaker 1: I am that which was, and is and shall be.
Speaker 4: The storms of my empire are firm beneath me, and
Speaker 4: my will is unyielding. I will not be moved by
Speaker 4: the threads of slaves and their desert.
Speaker 1: God.
Speaker 3: Then the Lord shall make his power known to you, Pharaoh,
Speaker 3: and you will understand that your will.
Speaker 5: Is with a whisper of the storm.
Speaker 1: With those words, Moses turned his back on Pharaoh and
Speaker 1: walked away, his shoulders straight, his head held high. Aaron
Speaker 1: followed closely behind, his eyes wide with fear and awe.
Speaker 1: The court watched them go, the silence hanging heavy in
Speaker 1: the air, pregnant with unspoken questions, and the lingering echo
Speaker 1: of Moses' words. As they passed through the hall's great doors,
Speaker 1: Aaron could not help but ask the question that burned
Speaker 1: in his mind.
Speaker 2: What will happen now, Moses?
Speaker 3: What will the Lord do next?
Speaker 1: Moses's face was like chiseled stone, his eyes distant. He
Speaker 1: saw something beyond the palace walls, beyond the mighty city
Speaker 1: of thieves, something beyond what any mortal man could see.
Speaker 3: Pharaoh's heart is as hard as the stones that built
Speaker 3: his empire. He's chosen to defy the Lord.
Speaker 5: Now the river will run red, Egypt will tremble under
Speaker 5: the hand of I Am.
Speaker 6: There's an old Jewish tale about a renowned rabbi who
Speaker 6: yearned to know who his neighbor would be in heaven.
Speaker 6: After much fasting and prayer, the rabbi's wish was granted
Speaker 6: in the form of a dream. In that dream, it
Speaker 6: was revealed that the rabbi's neighbor in an afterlife would
Speaker 6: be the town's butcher. At first, the rabbi dismissed the
Speaker 6: dream as nonsense. How could a simple butcher be his equal?
Speaker 6: He a holy scholar, a rabbi, I would be a
Speaker 6: neighbor with a butcher who is just a common man.
Speaker 6: Yet the dream returned again and again. The rabbi dreamed
Speaker 6: the same dream until finally he was convinced. So the
Speaker 6: rabbi sought out the butcher, and what he discovered was
Speaker 6: a man of unusual kindness and charity. In this butcher,
Speaker 6: the rabbi found a man truly worthy of being his
Speaker 6: neighbor for eternity, because he was a good person, because
Speaker 6: he helped others, because he had a good heart. You see,
Speaker 6: my friends, we all come into this world with a purpose,
Speaker 6: a mission that is uniquely ours. But it's not the
Speaker 6: size of the mission that determines the true greatness of
Speaker 6: a person. Rather, it's the size of the person that
Speaker 6: determines the greatness of their mission. In today's Bible story,
Speaker 6: we encounter Moses and Aaron, two brothers, leading the Israelites
Speaker 6: out of Egypt. But in verses twenty six and twenty seven,
Speaker 6: something strange happens. The Bible place Aaron's name before Moses's name,
Speaker 6: and then it reverses the order, placing Moses's name before Aaron.
Speaker 6: And we have to ask, because everything in the Bible
Speaker 6: is so specific, why did this reversal take place. Well,
Speaker 6: there is a profound truth here taught by Jewish tradition.
Speaker 6: You see, while Moses had a larger role than Aaron,
Speaker 6: both were equal in their greatness. Each of them were
Speaker 6: fulfilling their God given mission. And it reminds us that
Speaker 6: everyone is sent into the world with a role to play.
Speaker 6: Some roles are larger and more revealed, others are small
Speaker 6: and more hidden. Some people are called to be great leaders,
Speaker 6: while others are called to be chimney sweepers. But the
Speaker 6: size of the role doesn't matter. What matters is how
Speaker 6: we fulfill the role that God gives us. Are we
Speaker 6: doing it with the joy? Are we doing it with thanksgiving?
Speaker 6: Are we doing it with all of our heart? And
Speaker 6: we have to ask ourselves, even within our roles, big
Speaker 6: or small, what's most important is how we treat others
Speaker 6: in the process of fulfilling our role. That is what
Speaker 6: determines our greatness in the eyes of God. As the
Speaker 6: Jewish sages taught, there's nothing more beloved to God than
Speaker 6: a person who puts all of his heart and soul
Speaker 6: into fulfilling his mission. But this isn't just a Bible
Speaker 6: story filled with important lessons. As the Exodus story unfolds,
Speaker 6: we also find stories full of magic. When Aaron casts
Speaker 6: his staff to the ground and it becomes a crocodile,
Speaker 6: the Egyptian magicians are able to do the same thing
Speaker 6: with their staffs. Back then, magic was something that a
Speaker 6: lot of people were able to do. But then Aaron's
Speaker 6: crocodile devours all of the crocodiles of the magicians. What
Speaker 6: is this strange story of magic and mystery trying to
Speaker 6: tell us the great thirteenth century rabbi known as Rizkuni
Speaker 6: offered what he thought God commanded to Moses, and Aaron
Speaker 6: Riksune said that God told the brothers, when your crocodile
Speaker 6: devours all of theirs, tell Pharaoh, you and your armies,
Speaker 6: who have devoured the twelve tribes of Israel and slavery
Speaker 6: will eventually turn into a dry, dead stick. There's a
Speaker 6: lesson here for all of us today. Physical force that
Speaker 6: is used to commit evil is always eventually punished. No
Speaker 6: ancient ruler was stronger than the Egyptian pharaoh, and no
Speaker 6: army was more powerful than his. But God didn't just
Speaker 6: sit back and watch his people being brutalized as slaves.
Speaker 6: He performed miracles that allowed them to be freed, and
Speaker 6: then God punished the Egyptians for their reign of terror
Speaker 6: over the Chosen People. We look around and we see
Speaker 6: so much evil, But we have to have faith that
Speaker 6: in our world today, those who are committing the unspeakable evil,
Speaker 6: especially here in the Middle East, to Jews and Christians alike,
Speaker 6: they will ultimately suffer the punishment that they deserve. Each day,
Speaker 6: before I begin my work, I say a simple prayer,
Speaker 6: Please God, use me as your vessel to bring blessings
Speaker 6: to the world. This prayer sustains me when I feel overwhelmed,
Speaker 6: and it humbles me when I succeed. It's a reminder
Speaker 6: that I am just a tool in God's hand. Without
Speaker 6: God's help, I'm nothing. But with God's help I can
Speaker 6: do anything. Every time before I have an interview, I
Speaker 6: say this verse hashems fata ti f ta rufia ghiti.
Speaker 1: Letter.
Speaker 6: Lord, open up my lips so I can declare your praises.
Speaker 6: Even our words come from God. In today's story, God
Speaker 6: instructs Moses to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf to
Speaker 6: secure the freedom of the children of Israel. But Moses
Speaker 6: burdened with a speech impediment and felt completely inadequate for
Speaker 6: such a task. As we explore the Bible each day,
Speaker 6: isn't this becoming a familiar theme. Don't we often find
Speaker 6: God choosing the least likely candidates for his most critical work,
Speaker 6: those with a humble heart, those who are maybe a
Speaker 6: little bit flawed. He saw that God chose Joseph, who
Speaker 6: was despised by his brothers, sold into slavery and imprisoned,
Speaker 6: to be the Prime Minister of Egypt and the savior
Speaker 6: of his family and his nation. And we'll see God
Speaker 6: do it again and again. God will choose David, a
Speaker 6: mere shepherd boy so small he couldn't wear King Saul's armor,
Speaker 6: to defeat the giant Goliath. God will choose Esther, a quiet,
Speaker 6: orphan Jewish girl, to become the Queen of Persia and
Speaker 6: the savior of her people. God's pattern is clear. He
Speaker 6: often selects those who seem least qualified to fill the
Speaker 6: most significant roles. He does this to show us that
Speaker 6: success is not always about our outward talents or abilities. Rather,
Speaker 6: it's about His power, his ability to choose us and
Speaker 6: use us. As Zahariyah Zachariah for six declares, not by
Speaker 6: might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the
Speaker 6: Lord Almighty. I want to encourage you today to not
Speaker 6: feel intimidated by tasks that seem too large. If God
Speaker 6: put it in front of you means that you're able
Speaker 6: to do it. When God calls you to do something,
Speaker 6: don't be discouraged by what you think you can't do.
Speaker 6: With God's help, you can do anything because He's with you.
Speaker 6: God chooses the willing, not necessarily the able, and as
Speaker 6: long as we are willing to do what God calls
Speaker 6: us to do, he will make make sure that we
Speaker 6: are able to accomplish it.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
Speaker 1: ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dot Com production 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
Speaker 1: Com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on
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