Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: I do not know this God of yours, who is
Speaker 2: the lord that I should obey. I am the image
Speaker 2: of Rah, the Lord of the Nile. The sun rises
Speaker 2: and sets according to my greatness. I will not let
Speaker 2: your people go. Moses, I do not acknowledge this God
Speaker 2: of yours.
Speaker 3: Treadlightly, Rameses, the God of the Hebrews, will not relent.
Speaker 2: Is that a threat, Moses?
Speaker 3: It is not a threat. It is a promise.
Speaker 4: Pharaoh has refused to respond to me, but he will
Speaker 4: in time. For now, I shall make you like a
Speaker 4: god to Pharaoh, an adversary. He can see and hear.
Speaker 4: Your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. He shall speak
Speaker 4: and perform wonders on your behalf. He shall tell Pharaoh
Speaker 4: to let my people go.
Speaker 5: These mere tricks will not bend my will of Moses.
Speaker 5: I will not let your people go. Their burdens will
Speaker 5: continue to increase until their spines shatter and their hope breaks.
Speaker 6: They will know that I am Pharaoh.
Speaker 7: Undisputed and unchangeable.
Speaker 2: My will is final, My bessult.
Speaker 5: Is as steady as the stones that built my empire.
Speaker 2: I am my God.
Speaker 3: I will not be molved. Do not question my power,
Speaker 3: You only think you have.
Speaker 8: What will happen now, Moses, What will the Lord do next?
Speaker 3: Pharaoh's heart is as hard as the stones that build
Speaker 3: his Nimnire is chosen to defy the Now. The river
Speaker 3: will run red, Egypt will tremble with the hand of him.
Speaker 9: The Nile flowed Crimson, and Egypt's illusion of control shattered
Speaker 9: with the very first plague. Shallo, my friends from here
Speaker 9: in the Holy Land. Welcome to the Chosen People. I'm
Speaker 9: ya l Ekstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Speaker 9: Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible,
Speaker 9: stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the
Speaker 9: meaning of life. Through israel story, we find this truth
Speaker 9: that we are all chosen for something great. If you
Speaker 9: haven't yet followed the podcast, be sure to do so now.
Speaker 9: That way you never have to miss an episode, and
Speaker 9: that small step helps us tremendously as we try to
Speaker 9: be discovered by more people so that we can inspire them.
Speaker 9: If you're interested in finding out more about the prophetic,
Speaker 9: life saving work of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
Speaker 9: you can visit our website at IFCJ. Dot Org Today's
Speaker 9: stories inspired by Exodus seven fourteen to twenty five. It
Speaker 9: unfolds in the shadow of an empire, a people once free,
Speaker 9: now grown under the weight of chains, their backs broken
Speaker 9: by the taskmasters of Egypt. Pharaoh, the self proclaimed god King,
Speaker 9: had hardened his heart, tightened his grip on the Israelites.
Speaker 9: But here, in the tense time between tyranny and liberation,
Speaker 9: God speaks and pharaoh scoffs. But the battle is just beginning.
Speaker 9: The waters of the Nile, once the lifeblood of Egypt
Speaker 9: will turn red with blood. Will Pharaoh bow or will
Speaker 9: this stubborn pride lead his nation to a deeper judgment.
Speaker 1: The Nile flowed like a vein of life through the
Speaker 1: sun drenched heart of Egypt, its waters glimmering beneath the
Speaker 1: weight of Ra's gaze. The reeds that fringed its banks
Speaker 1: whispered in the hot wind. On this morning, the court
Speaker 1: of Pharaoh had assembled upon the river's edge. Their eyes
Speaker 1: were fixed upon their king. The entire assembly was transfixed
Speaker 1: by him. Pharaoh, Lord of the Two Lands, son of Ra,
Speaker 1: stood tall and splendid at the head of the gathering,
Speaker 1: his skin burnished by the sun gleamed with sacred oils.
Speaker 1: His eyes coalined and severe, seemed to drink in the
Speaker 1: world around him, as if he could command the very
Speaker 1: earth and sky to bow before behind him, Nebermunn and
Speaker 1: his priests, arrayed in white linen and leopard skins, chanted
Speaker 1: hymns in the ancient tongue. Their voices rose and fell
Speaker 1: like the very waters of the Nile, Incense cold in
Speaker 1: the air, thick with the sense of frankincense, and there
Speaker 1: it smoke, twisting like serpents, before dissipating into the arid sky.
Speaker 1: The statues of the gods glared with the cold painted
Speaker 1: eyes of Eternity, Osiris with his green skin and white crown,
Speaker 1: Hathor with her horns and sun disk, and Horus, the
Speaker 1: falcon headed god, who watched with sharp eyes. As the
Speaker 1: ceremony unfolded, Pharaoh stepped forward, his sandals pressing into the
Speaker 1: wet earth, and he raised his arms to the heavens.
Speaker 1: Sweat beaded upon his brow, but he did not waver.
Speaker 6: Great and mighty Gods, your son, no one who speaks
Speaker 6: with your tongues, who walks with your feet upon this
Speaker 6: sacred ground.
Speaker 1: The priests behind him echoed his words, their voices rising
Speaker 1: in a powerful wave that swept through the gathered people.
Speaker 1: The onlookers knelt in reverence, for to see Pharaoh perform
Speaker 1: the rites was to witness the divine made flesh. Pharaoh
Speaker 1: was not just a king. He was the living God
Speaker 1: on earth, the intermediary between the mortal world and the
Speaker 1: celestial realms. He turned his gaze to the waters of
Speaker 1: the Nile, the great river upon which all life in
Speaker 1: Egypt depended. In its currents lay the secrets of death
Speaker 1: and rebirth, the pulse of a civilization that had thrived
Speaker 1: for a thousand years.
Speaker 6: Happy, Great God of the Nile, bringer of life and
Speaker 6: the bounty.
Speaker 7: And before you, as your chosen one, as the sun
Speaker 7: who guards your waters, then honors your floe. Hear me now,
Speaker 7: and let your blessings fall upon my land. Let your
Speaker 7: waters rise, Let the flood come in its season, so
Speaker 7: that Egypt may be nourished, and our granaries may burst
Speaker 7: with grain and our fields swell with green.
Speaker 1: Nebermund moved forward, bearing a large golden chalice filled with
Speaker 1: the blood of a sacrificial bull, an offering to Happy
Speaker 1: The blood was fresh, still warm, and its scent was
Speaker 1: coppery and thick in the heat. They handed the chalice
Speaker 1: to Pharaoh, who raised it high for all to see.
Speaker 1: His lips moved in silent prayer, his eyes closed in concentration. Then,
Speaker 1: with a swift motion, he poured the blood into the
Speaker 1: Nile heart. The crimson liquid splash against the dark water,
Speaker 1: mingling with the river's flow, as if to bind the
Speaker 1: gods to his will. A hush fell over the assembly,
Speaker 1: the air taut with anticipation. The people held their breath,
Speaker 1: waiting for a sign, a blessing, or perhaps a curse.
Speaker 1: The Niles waters seemed to ripple more violently for a moment,
Speaker 1: as if something ancient and unseen stirred beneath its surface.
Speaker 1: Rameses turned to the crowd, gesturing to the water as
Speaker 1: if its current was a result of his power. With
Speaker 1: arrogance dripping from his paws, he regarded.
Speaker 10: Them, see my people happy excepts my offering. The gods
Speaker 10: favor me. The river will rise, the fields will prosper,
Speaker 10: and the people of Egypt will know abundance. Ay, the
Speaker 10: image Chavas have wield the aspanity of a nation into existence.
Speaker 1: As the priests sang their praises, the winds shifted, and
Speaker 1: a sudden chill seemed to pass over the assembly. Then
Speaker 1: the crowd stirred. Pharaohs sent something, a tremor in the air,
Speaker 1: a whisper of something that did not belong. His brow
Speaker 1: furrowed and his smile faded. He turned back to the nile,
Speaker 1: watching as the waters now swirled with a strange, murky eddy,
Speaker 1: as if the river itself resisted his command. It was
Speaker 1: then that the strangers came, a pair of shadowed figures
Speaker 1: descending the slope toward the other side of the river. Moses,
Speaker 1: the man who had once been a member of his household,
Speaker 1: now a shepherd turned desert prophet, and beside him Arrow
Speaker 1: the brash slay, with eyes gleaming like the edge of
Speaker 1: a newly forged blade, they walked with a purpose that
Speaker 1: set Pharaoh's teeth on edge, their steps unhurried, yet filled
Speaker 1: with an unmistakable sense of destiny. The high priest Nebermund
Speaker 1: stepped forward.
Speaker 11: Moses, have you come again to disturb the peace? You
Speaker 11: were raised in Pharaoh's house? You, of all people should
Speaker 11: know what it means to cross a king of Egypt.
Speaker 11: Speak now, and speak wisely.
Speaker 1: Moses stood at the edge of the river, his face
Speaker 1: shadowed beneath the folds of his robe. Aaron stood beside him,
Speaker 1: voice able to boom with authority. The wind carried his
Speaker 1: commands to Pharaoh and his priests.
Speaker 8: Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let
Speaker 8: my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.
Speaker 8: For too long you have kept them in bondage, and
Speaker 8: too long have you defied the will of the almighty.
Speaker 1: Neberman's lips curled into a smile, but it was a
Speaker 1: smile without warmth.
Speaker 3: Look where you are, slave.
Speaker 11: You are on the banks of the Nile, where the
Speaker 11: blood of the gods beats from their hearts to the
Speaker 11: veins of this great nation. You are a fool to
Speaker 11: think your God holds any power here. He is but
Speaker 11: a single voice among many.
Speaker 4: His voice speaks to you.
Speaker 8: Now you would be wise to hear him, Thus declares
Speaker 8: the voice of our God. By this you shall know
Speaker 8: that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the
Speaker 8: waters of the Nile with the staff in my hand,
Speaker 8: and they shall be turned to blood.
Speaker 1: Neberman turned and whispered into Pharaoh's ear.
Speaker 11: These slaves, dear, challenge you on the banks of the
Speaker 11: Great Nile.
Speaker 1: Aaron stepped forward, his expression as hard and unyielding as
Speaker 1: the ancient stones of the temples. In his hand he
Speaker 1: held a long, weathered staff that seemed to thrum with
Speaker 1: a power older than the earth itself. Without a word,
Speaker 1: he stretched out his hand over the waters of the Nile,
Speaker 1: and the staff descended with a force as that set
Speaker 1: the us across the surface. For a heartbeat, there was nothing.
Speaker 1: Then a tremor ran through the waters, as if the
Speaker 1: river itself had drawn a deep, shuddering breath. The onlookers
Speaker 1: gasped as the clear blue green currents of the Nile
Speaker 1: began to darken. The color shifted deepened, turning from blue
Speaker 1: to a murky red. The transformation was slow, at first,
Speaker 1: almost subtle, but then it spread like fire through dry reeds.
Speaker 1: The river was becoming thick and plotted, a red so
Speaker 1: dark it was nearly black, like the blood of a
Speaker 1: freshly slain bull left too long in the sun. The
Speaker 1: priests and magicians muttered to each other, eyes widening with disbelief.
Speaker 1: The stench of iron and decay filled the air, and
Speaker 1: the fish in the river began to thrash wildly, as
Speaker 1: if possessed by some unseen madness. Some left clear of
Speaker 1: the water, desperate to escape, only to flop onto the
Speaker 1: muddy banks, their gills opening and closing in a pitiful struggle,
Speaker 1: until they lay still, bloated and stinking beneath the sun.
Speaker 11: You heap thoughts, The Nile is the life source of
Speaker 11: our children, Oh dear you.
Speaker 8: Snile ran red with the blood of Hebrew children. Long
Speaker 8: ago the Lord heard their cris He is not forgotten
Speaker 8: what Pharaoh did. Let this be a sign to you,
Speaker 8: and what is to come if you do not relent.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's face twisted in fury when he saw the Nile,
Speaker 1: but he held his ground. He would not show weakness,
Speaker 1: not before these men, and certainly not before these peasants
Speaker 1: who watched with wide fearful eyes.
Speaker 12: Magicians share these Hebrews what it means to challenge the
Speaker 12: gods of Egypt.
Speaker 1: Nebermann and the magicians stepped forward, their faces set with
Speaker 1: a cold determination. They raised their staffs and chanted words
Speaker 1: of power, invoking the ancient spirits of the river and
Speaker 1: the hidden gods of the deep. And indeed, by their
Speaker 1: tricks and arts, they too turned small pots of water
Speaker 1: to blood, smirking as they did so, their eyes darting
Speaker 1: to Pharaoh for approofal, but the river the Great Nine
Speaker 1: itself remained a rolling torrent of.
Speaker 3: Dark, foul blood.
Speaker 1: The magician's eyes flickered with uncertainty, and their hands trembled
Speaker 1: upon their staffs, and the people began to murmur and
Speaker 1: fear to the root where arrogance had once rained. Moses
Speaker 1: stepped closer and raised his voice.
Speaker 12: Don't you see, Rancys, the gods of Egypt have no
Speaker 12: power before the Lord. Look?
Speaker 3: Look are they leave? This is but the first of
Speaker 3: many signs. Let my people go, that they may serve
Speaker 3: him your land greatly.
Speaker 12: You may have your tricks, Moses.
Speaker 2: But I will not be moved by them. Nancys, are
Speaker 2: you blind?
Speaker 3: Look look at what's happened.
Speaker 12: Silence, traitor.
Speaker 2: I shall add to the river with your blood.
Speaker 1: Moses watched Pharaoh's gaze turn from anger to hatred. He
Speaker 1: wondered why Rameses hadn't yet commanded his men to seize him,
Speaker 1: But then he realized that Pharaoh must have feared what
Speaker 1: the Lord would do if he harmed Moses. Pharaoh played
Speaker 1: the part of the god, but he was beginning to
Speaker 1: realize who he was dealing.
Speaker 2: With wild.
Speaker 3: Rub lands.
Speaker 12: Your people will feel my heel dig further into their throats.
Speaker 12: What my people lose, and these sources will be taken
Speaker 12: from Goshian.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh spun on his heel, his red and white crown
Speaker 1: catching the sun as he stormed away from the river,
Speaker 1: his priests and courtiers trailing behind him like a shadow.
Speaker 1: The air was thick with tension, the stench of blood,
Speaker 1: and the whispers of something far older than Egypt. The
Speaker 1: people lingered, afraid to leave, afraid to stay, watching as
Speaker 1: the Nile ran red with death. Moses and Aaron remained
Speaker 1: by the riverbank, watching Pharaoh depart. They knew what was coming,
Speaker 1: and they knew this was only the beginning. The Lord
Speaker 1: had spoken, and his words were as inexorable as the
Speaker 1: rising of the sun. Judgment had come to Egypt, and
Speaker 1: its king would soon learn that no crown could shield
Speaker 1: him from the wrath of the almighty.
Speaker 9: The Nile. It wasn't just water flowing through Egypt. It
Speaker 9: was the heart of the nation, the source of life itself.
Speaker 9: Without it, Egypt's fields would dry up and its cities
Speaker 9: would crumble. It was no mere river. It was a
Speaker 9: god in Pharaoh's empire. The Egyptians believed the Nile's waters
Speaker 9: were divine, a gift from their gods to sustain their empire,
Speaker 9: their crops, their wealth. Pharaoh himself was seen as the
Speaker 9: master of this river, ruling over it as a living
Speaker 9: embodiment of Egypt's divinity. And what does God do? He
Speaker 9: turns that river to blood. The message is sharp, decisive, God,
Speaker 9: the creator of all life, strikes at the very symbol
Speaker 9: of Egypt's supposed strength. The Nile, which had nurtured to civilization,
Speaker 9: is now a river of death. Its waters, once worshiped
Speaker 9: as divine, are now undrinkable, poisoned, cursed. But this is
Speaker 9: no random act of destruction. In addition to forcing Pharaoh
Speaker 9: to free the enslaved Chosen people, the plagues were really
Speaker 9: an educational process for both Pharaoh and the ancient Egyptians.
Speaker 9: Jewish trade teaches that one of the main purposes of
Speaker 9: the plagues was to demonstrate to Pharaoh that the Nile
Speaker 9: was not a god but just a river, and that
Speaker 9: the God of the universe, who is in charge of everything,
Speaker 9: could turn its life giving waters to blood.
Speaker 3: But there's more.
Speaker 9: Jewish tradition also suggests that after the previous signs Moses
Speaker 9: had shown him. Pharaoh still believed that Moses was just
Speaker 9: a really good magician. In fact, our tradition finds Pharaoh
Speaker 9: saying sarcastically to Moses, what are you bringing straw to Ephraim?
Speaker 9: In Bible times, Ephrian was a place known for its straw,
Speaker 9: so Pharaoh was an effect scoffing, oh, you're bringing magic
Speaker 9: to Egypt, the world's expert in magic. So it was
Speaker 9: necessary for God to smite the Egyptian's Nile River God
Speaker 9: and show them that only God is the ruler of
Speaker 9: the universe, the same God who will take the chosen
Speaker 9: people out of slavery in Egypt. As we've seen so
Speaker 9: far in the Bible, blood isn't just a sign of death,
Speaker 9: it's the essence of life itself. In Genesis, when Cain
Speaker 9: killed Abel, God told him, quote, your brother's blood cries
Speaker 9: out to me from the ground. End quote. Blood speaks,
Speaker 9: it calls for justice, It demands to be heard. So
Speaker 9: when the Nile turned to blood, a God spoke saying, quote,
Speaker 9: I am the God of life, the God of creation,
Speaker 9: and you, Pharaoh, are nothing but a man. The Nile.
Speaker 9: Once Egypt's lifeline was now a witness to the God
Speaker 9: of Israel, a testimony to his justice, his power, his
Speaker 9: sovereignty over all of creation. And the message was clear,
Speaker 9: God alone is the soul of life. This story shows
Speaker 9: just how fragile the illusion of power really is. Pharaoh
Speaker 9: thought that he was untouchable and that the gods of
Speaker 9: Egypt would protect him. But the God of Israel isn't
Speaker 9: just a name. He's not one god among many. He's
Speaker 9: the creator of heaven and earth. Isn't that both terrifying
Speaker 9: and humbling. No matter how strong or in control we
Speaker 9: think we are, all it takes is one word from
Speaker 9: the God of our ancestors, and everything can change in
Speaker 9: an instant. What rivers in life? Do we trust in
Speaker 9: too much? The story isn't just about Pharaoh, It's about
Speaker 9: all of us. The plagues were an invitation to Pharaoh,
Speaker 9: and they are an invitation to us. The choice is
Speaker 9: always there, harden your heart or open your heart to God.
Speaker 9: When we see things happening, we have to wake up
Speaker 9: and remember that God's judgment isn't an end, Rather, it's
Speaker 9: a beginning.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made
Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabager 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 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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