WEBVTT - Moses Sees God 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.599 Previously on the chosen people. 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:09.520 Go down at once. Your people, whom you brought up 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:14.240 from Egypt, have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned away 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:19.040 from the way I commanded them, making an image of 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:24.360 the golden calf. Whoever has sinned against me, I will 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:29.080 erase from my book. Loud go lead the people to 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:32.839 the place I told you about. Ah, he will go 0:00:32.920 --> 0:00:36.559 before you. But on the day I sit to the counts, 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:40.760 Aari will hold them accountable for their sin. 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:47.319 The plague had chipped away at their numbers significantly. There 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:50.120 was scarcely a family to be found among them who 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:51.320 had not been affected. 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:56.640 Now spread the word among the camp. This place is 0:00:56.640 --> 0:01:01.360 to be called the Tent of Meeting. Any One who 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:05.560 wants to consult Our God to seek spiritual council can 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:06.440 do so here. 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:12.440 The first time Aaron saw Moses enter the Tent of Meeting, 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:16.200 hope was rekindled in his heart. He had never seen 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:19.720 anything quite like it. Moses would walk out to the 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:22.920 remote tent, away from the rest of the camp, and 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:25.920 people would stand at the entryways to their own tents 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:30.040 to observe. Moses would enter the tent, and the pillar 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:32.880 of cloud, just like the one that guided them through 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:36.400 the desert after they escaped from Egypt, would come down 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:40.119 and remain at the entrance to the tent. Moses would 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:43.200 speak with their God inside the tent, just as he 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:49.280 had done on the mountain. Pees, let me see your glory. 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:53.080 He just wanted to see what he looked like. He 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:58.160 longed to understand. He wanted to know his God more fully. 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:02.279 But I will make it so. My glory will pass 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:07.360 before you. You will see my glory and know my name. 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:09.600 Come to me tomorrow. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:14.359 On the mountain, Moses stared at the pillar before him 0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:19.360 in awe. Tomorrow he would see the glory of his God, 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:24.800 and he would finally learn his name, his true name. 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.880 Amidst the echoes of a shattered promise, a new covenant 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:41.120 was about to be forged, a testament to grace, forgiveness 0:02:41.120 --> 0:02:45.200 and the enduring love of the Lord. Shelloh, my friends, 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.600 from here in the holy Land of Israel, I'm l 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:51.959 Extein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:56.080 to the Chosen People. In each episode, we'll hear dramatic 0:02:56.200 --> 0:03:00.360 stories inspired by the Bible, stories filled with time tameless 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:04.440 lessons of faith, love, and the meaning of life. Through 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:08.280 Israel's story, we find this truth that we are all 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:13.560 chosen for something great. Has this podcast blessed you? I 0:03:13.639 --> 0:03:16.959 want to ask you a favor to follow this podcast 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:19.399 so that you never miss an episode. And if you're 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:23.160 interested in hearing how the Fellowship is impacting millions of 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:27.040 people around the world, saving lives, helping to bring biblical 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:34.119 prophecy to fruition, visit IFCJ dot org. We find ourselves 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:38.040 at the threshold of a profound moment in our ancestor's journey. 0:03:38.600 --> 0:03:43.120 The Israelites, free from the chains of Egypt, wander the wilderness. 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:46.800 Their hearts are still heavy from the sin of their 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:51.840 recent idolatry, a golden calf, a broken promise, and now 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:55.480 Moses is about to ascend Mount Sinai once more to 0:03:55.640 --> 0:04:01.240 encounter the divine to receive the renewed covenant. This is 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:05.560 the story of Exodus thirty four, a chapter of rebirth 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:09.560 and divine revelation, and one that asks what does it 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:12.680 mean to be given a second chance by God? 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:20.080 Hoshier was sitting inside the tent of meeting, as he 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:23.240 did every day. He sat in the back of the 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:26.840 tent and was separated from the section where Moses held 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:30.560 an audience with the Lord. He couldn't always make out 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:33.560 the words of what they were saying, but the muffled 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:37.240 tones of the Lord's voice never ceased to amaze him. 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:39.840 He wondered if the Lord would ever speak to him 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:44.000 like that one day. On this day, one word seemed 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:46.960 to cut through the fabric of the tent and pierce 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:51.360 Hoshier straight in the heart. The words seemed and felt 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:57.000 like breath itself, like life itself. He sensed a shift 0:04:57.040 --> 0:05:01.360 in the atmosphere around him, almost in response to this word. 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:05.279 Maybe it was a place, a thing, or a person. 0:05:06.040 --> 0:05:11.120 Whatever it was, it was important. A few moments passed 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:13.799 and there was quiet from the other end of the tent. 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.839 Moses called for Hooshier as he began to exit the 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:20.680 tent of meeting Hoshea. 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:25.160 Come, I have a task to complete and we'll require 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:25.960 your assistance. 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.160 Hoshier jumped up and followed Moses. 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:31.400 Here, I am whatever you need. 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:34.320 Our God has asked that I have the new stone 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:38.240 tablets cut to replace the ones I brought down from 0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:41.719 the mountain. We're to go see the stone workers. 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.000 Stone workers, no one has used that craft since we 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:47.760 left Egypt. There's no stone work to be done here. 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:51.000 Do not worry, my son. Find the men who possessed 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:54.240 the craft of hewing stone and send them to my tent. 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:56.880 I'll supply the stone they need to dress. 0:05:57.560 --> 0:05:58.360 You can count on me. 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:04.640 And yeah, once I have the new tablets made, I'll 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:06.280 return to him on the mountain. 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:08.440 Am I to go with you up the mountain again? 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:14.080 No, not this time, my son. In fact, I'll need 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:16.080 you to warn the people to stay away from the 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:19.039 mountain again. Even the flocks and herds are not to 0:06:19.360 --> 0:06:22.920 graze in front of the mountain. Spread this news draft camp, 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:25.799 and assemble the elders to enforce it. While I'm gone. 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:28.800 Ho Sheer ran off in search of the men who 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:32.200 were stone cutters and masons in Egypt. He brought them 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:34.880 to MOSE's tent, and they found him on his hands 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:37.599 and knees in the center of his tent, having thrown 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:41.160 back the rugs and animals skins that served as his floor. 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:44.560 He was digging into the very earth of the desert floor. 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.400 He triumphantly cried out as they approached. 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:52.480 Ah, perfect timing. Ah, It's just as our God said 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:56.799 it would be. Look here, this is the stonewall cut 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:58.120 to form the new tablets. 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:02.200 Ho Sheer and the stone workers peered in over Moses's 0:07:02.200 --> 0:07:06.080 shoulder to find rough carving stone protruding from the dird 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:09.840 floor of moses tent. The stone workers made quick work 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:12.480 of removing the stone from the ground and hauling it 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:15.720 over to their makeshift banker table to dress the stone. 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:20.760 Moses oversaw the cutting, shaping, and surfacing of the tablets. 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:24.720 The finished tablets were just as Hoshier remembered from the 0:07:24.800 --> 0:07:28.800 day they came down the mountain, about six handbreads wide 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:32.760 and long and about three hand breads deep. Just before 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:36.840 first light, Hoshier arose early, just in time to see 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:40.440 his master take up the new stone tablets and depart 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:46.560 in the direction of the mountain. Moses panted and stopped 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:50.080 to catch his breath and readjust the heavy stone tablets 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:53.360 in his arms. He wished that Hoshier had been permitted 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:55.720 to join him, if for no other reason than to 0:07:55.800 --> 0:07:57.040 carry one of the tablets. 0:07:57.320 --> 0:08:05.440 Ah ha, I'm too old for this, Lord, This is 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:06.520 a young man's work. 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:13.240 A Moses heaved and panted his way up. He finally 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:16.160 reached the point on the mountain side where the clouds 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:21.320 hung low creating an otherworldly misty divide between this world 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:26.200 and the divine. Moses steeled his breath and pushed into 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:30.200 the cloud. Moses noticed a crevice in the rock, and 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:32.280 he carefully lowered himself within. 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:33.520 The rock. 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.360 Walls came up well above his head, but he could 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:40.040 see the surrounding mountain side through the narrow opening within 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:43.600 the aperture. He set the stone tablets down beside him 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:49.040 and waited. A stillness crept over the mountainside, and Moses's 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:50.319 heart began to race. 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:52.160 This was it. 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:56.920 He held his breath in anticipation as a booming voice 0:08:56.960 --> 0:09:00.680 began to speak. It rattled his heart in his chest 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:04.400 and his teeth in his jaw. He felt as though 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:07.880 his entire life had been leading to this moment. He 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:11.080 had asked something mighty of his God, and he was 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:12.040 about to answer. 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:16.680 You have reminded me that I have called you and 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:20.800 knowed you by your name. Now you will know me 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:26.640 by my name, and you will see my glory. My 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:29.079 name is Yahweh. 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:34.520 With that, Moses sensed his God's hand cover him inside 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:37.760 the rock, and he knew his God was passing in 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:42.520 front of him. Yaheh's hand shielded him from the overwhelming 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:46.640 glory that would strike him dead from behind the hand 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:52.439 he continued to speak. He spoke the meaning of his name, Yahweh. 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:56.040 Moses absorbed the name for a second time. 0:09:56.720 --> 0:10:02.120 I am a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:07.760 and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love 0:10:07.880 --> 0:10:13.760 for a thousand generations, for giving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:19.080 But I will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:22.800 consequence of the father's iniquity on the children and the 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:26.599 grown children to the third and fourth generation. 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:31.920 When Yahoeh finished speaking, he lifted his hand from Moses' 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:35.559 hiding place in the rock, and Moses saw his back, 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:40.000 just as he had promised. As Moses took in his 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:45.040 God's glory, he considered his name, the name that described 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:49.920 his relationship to his people. He loved them, rescued them, 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:55.040 was loyal to them, faithful to them, forgave them, and 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:59.719 would judge and avenge them, disciplining and guiding them as 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:04.760 a loving father. Tears of revelation sprang to Moses's eyes. 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:09.559 His glory shone all around him. Moses had to squint 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.320 his eyes and shield them from taking it all in 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:17.439 the compassion and grace Yaheh spoke of. His very name 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:22.320 was a palpable feeling in Moses's soul. His heart ached, 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:26.840 ached with longing to know more, to see more, for 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:30.560 the resolution of a broken world where he no longer 0:11:30.640 --> 0:11:34.720 had to hide in a cracked rock from his wondrous creator, God, 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:41.440 the God Most High, the God Almighty Yahweh. Names and 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:45.720 titles were a feeble human attempt to contain and describe 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:52.960 something indescribable, so intangible, an unspoken groaning that came from 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:57.839 deep within himself, a sensation of utter awe for which 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:02.160 there was no interpreter. And who was this glorious and 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:06.280 powerful God that he thought of Moses, of any human 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:11.319 at all? But yet he loved them even though they 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:15.280 had failed, and would continue to do so. This was 0:12:15.400 --> 0:12:18.520 unlike any god Moses had ever heard of in the 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:22.040 known world. A god who would remain faithful to a 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:26.280 people who rebelled against him betrayed him. A God who 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:30.360 would choose a forgotten, downtrodden people to be his people. 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:36.960 Absolutely unheard of, radical, and perhaps the most humbling revelation 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:41.800 of all. He appointed Moses to lead his chosen people. 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:47.360 He knelt low and worshiped before his God. Inspired by 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:51.000 the very name of his God and all that it represented, 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:55.160 he again advocated on behalf of the people, my God, 0:12:56.480 --> 0:13:01.280 are we If I have indeed found favor with you, 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:07.160 Please go with us. Though we are stiff necked people, 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:15.040 Remember you rescued us from Egypt's iron smelting furnace. Be 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:20.920 patient with us, as your name declares. Forive our nequity 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:27.720 and our sin, and accept us as your own possession, 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:30.360 your inheritance. 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:37.520 Now and always take up the tablets. I will renew 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:41.240 the covenant with you today in the presence of all 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:45.719 your people. Aye, you will perform wonders that Heaven may 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:49.000 have not been done mean the whole earth or in 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:53.760 any nation. All the people you live among will see 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:58.280 my work, for what I am doing with you is 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:04.560 all inspired. Observe what I command you to day, and 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:08.520 I will drive out your enemies before you. 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:14.480 Moses listened as his God renewed the covenant. He recounted 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:19.000 what was there before, but also added stern warnings of 0:14:19.080 --> 0:14:22.640 how his people should conduct themselves in the conquest and 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:30.640 inhabitation of the promised land to come. It had been 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:35.840 forty days and forty nights, and Moses had still not returned. 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:39.640 He had not taken food or water with him. Just 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:43.440 as before, Hosher returned each morning to wait at the 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:45.960 edge of camp to see if that day would be 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:49.640 the day Moses returned. He had done as his master 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:52.840 had bid. The elders kept the people away from the 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:56.920 mountain and the surrounding foothills. The herds had even been 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.760 driven out to graze in the opposite direction. That morning, 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:05.560 Hoshier sensed that something might be different. The last time 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:09.160 Moses returned with the stone tablets was after forty days, 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:14.160 and this morning was the fortieth day. Hoshier scanned the 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:18.480 horizon and went up toward the clouded mountain. His heart 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:21.840 caught as he saw a speck of movement in the foothills. 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:25.520 He was right, it had to be Moses returning to 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:28.440 them at last. He was about to turn and run 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:31.240 to notify Aaron and the others when he noticed that 0:15:31.320 --> 0:15:35.200 the far away figure appeared to be emitting a soft glow. 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:36.960 He frowned. 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:41.560 Perhaps it was a strange reflection, he realized it must be. 0:15:42.320 --> 0:15:44.520 How else would he be able to see him against 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:48.320 the darkness of the cloud cover. He shrugged and hurried 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:55.520 to go find Aaron. The figure approaching camp was thought 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:58.920 to be Moses. That was what the boy Hoshier had said, 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:02.320 but Aaron was not so sure. As he drew closer, 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:05.760 he called out to the figure from a safe distance. 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:09.800 Stay back, Everyone stays back until we know who approaches. 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:14.160 Aaron stood before the elders and many of the Israelites 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:17.280 gathered at the edge of their camp. The figure approaching 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:21.120 their camp was holding the same stone tablets Moses left with, 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:25.040 and even dressed as Moses was usually dressed. But this 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:29.680 being's face was radiant and shining. Aaron had never seen 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.760 such a thing. He struggled to find the words to 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:36.960 describe it. Beams of light radiated from the head and 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:43.040 protruded outward, almost like horns, like some pagan symbol of divinity. 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:46.360 The horns of light curled over the top of the 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.000 figure's head and outward. So bright was the light from 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:53.240 the face that Aaron had to avert his eyes. He 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:56.800 could feel the elders around him doing the same as 0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:59.640 for the figure. He did not seem to realize that 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:03.480 his face was a glow. He halted before the gathered 0:17:03.520 --> 0:17:07.000 elders and before the Israelites waiting behind them as if 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:11.040 waiting for a greeting of some kind. Aaron felt obligated 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:12.160 to speak. 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.200 Who approaches you are not known to us? 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:19.280 That gave the figure pause. He was still a ways 0:17:19.320 --> 0:17:20.240 off from the crowd. 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:23.560 I think it's Moses. The glory of our God is 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:24.800 clinging to his very face. 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:27.159 Mosks, do you think. 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:28.760 I would not recognize my own brother? 0:17:29.240 --> 0:17:33.639 The figure interrupted Aaron's terse remarks with how sheer it is? 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:38.639 I Moses, your leader? How is it you don't recognize me? 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:42.720 It is your face. It shines with radiant light. 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:47.480 Moses then set down the stone tablets and held his 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:50.119 hands up to his face, as if to see the 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:51.960 glow reflected on their surface. 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:57.920 It is all right, don't be afraid. I've seen our God. 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:00.760 My face shines with his glory. 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:05.000 Moses stepped forward to close the distance between them all, 0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:09.080 but the elders and people shrank back in fear. They 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:13.080 were still apprehensive to be so near to this strange site. 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.960 Do not be afraid, I would relay the renewed, coveted 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:22.240 treaty to you. All. Come, come, let us gather in 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:24.280 the center of the camp where all can hear. 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:29.560 Moses approached the people, and though he assured them, they 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:32.719 still gave him a wide berth as he walked among them. 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:37.080 Hoshier alone, confidently strode in his wake. As they made 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:41.280 their way to the center of camp, Aaron overheard Moses 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:46.720 ask Hoshier to fetch him a veil. Moses relaid the 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:50.200 renewed covenant, as he said he would do. He then 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:53.600 told them the name of their God. He only told 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:58.800 them once. Hoshier's body thrummed with recognition. It was the 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:02.560 word he heard in the the word that reminded him 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:07.200 of life itself. That was their God's true name. How 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:11.480 Sha was amazed. So glorious and reverent was the name 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:14.360 that Moses deemed that it was not to be spoken 0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:18.480 or used lightly, for their God was more mighty than 0:19:18.520 --> 0:19:22.920 an earthly king, and even their true names were similarly 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:28.119 used sparingly. From that day forward, they would commonly refer 0:19:28.240 --> 0:19:32.800 to their God as the Lord or just God, to 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:37.159 remind themselves of the distance there was between themselves and 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:40.879 their God. This was how they would show reverence and 0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:42.920 respect for the true name. 0:19:47.680 --> 0:19:51.080 What a profound story, and it actually makes me think 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:53.840 of one of my favorite movies growing up. The Wizard 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:56.919 of Oz. Let me explain. When I watched it as 0:19:56.920 --> 0:19:59.239 a kid, I was terrified of the wicked Witch. I 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:02.360 was in chen by the magical land of Oz, and 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:07.680 I loved Dorothy's ruby slippers. But then when I rewatched 0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:10.080 the movie with my own kids as an adult, I 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:14.720 realized that it also holds some deep messages about life. 0:20:14.840 --> 0:20:17.320 At the end of the movie, Dorothy is asked what 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:21.399 she's learned, and her reply is the true magic of 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:24.679 the movie. This is what she says, If ever go 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:27.920 back looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:31.600 any further than my own backyard, because if it isn't there, 0:20:32.200 --> 0:20:35.720 then I never really lost it to begin with. In 0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:41.400 other words, happiness isn't somewhere over the rainbow. It's right here, 0:20:42.080 --> 0:20:46.520 exactly where God has placed us. According to Jewish tradition, 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:50.320 when God commanded Moses to carve out new tablets to 0:20:50.359 --> 0:20:53.840 replace the old ones that were broken, Moses had trouble 0:20:53.880 --> 0:20:57.800 finding stone from which to make them. He looked everywhere 0:20:57.840 --> 0:21:01.400 but couldn't find the right stone, And then God appeared 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:04.520 to him and told Moses to look underground, right beneath 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:10.159 his own tent. Moses had looked everywhere, but where he was. 0:21:11.119 --> 0:21:14.840 What he had searched high and low for was right 0:21:14.880 --> 0:21:18.920 there with him all along. Like Moses, many of us 0:21:19.000 --> 0:21:23.040 make that same mistake. We look for the fulfillment of 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:27.680 our soul's desire everywhere, but where we are. We think 0:21:27.720 --> 0:21:30.600 that we'll find happiness in a new car, or a 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:34.680 different house, or an exotic vacation. We think, if only 0:21:34.760 --> 0:21:38.040 my spouse were different, if my child were easier, or 0:21:38.040 --> 0:21:42.720 my job was better, then everything would be great. But 0:21:42.840 --> 0:21:45.520 the truth is that everything we need for fulfillment in 0:21:45.560 --> 0:21:49.639 our lives is within us. Every time I travel for 0:21:49.720 --> 0:21:53.320 work and leave my family, my country, and my daily routine, 0:21:53.400 --> 0:21:57.480 I'm reminded that, truly there's no place like home. My 0:21:57.600 --> 0:22:00.720 greatest treasures are in my own backyard. God has given 0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:05.760 me everything I need, challenges and all to be truly 0:22:06.240 --> 0:22:10.199 happy and complete. In this story, Moses is given the 0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:15.080 amazing privilege of glimpsing God's glory, the closest any human 0:22:15.160 --> 0:22:19.960 being can come to seeing God, who is, of course unseeable. 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:23.840 And as God passes in front of Moses, God calls 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:29.040 out his own attributes, proclaiming the Lord, the Lord, the 0:22:29.119 --> 0:22:33.880 compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love 0:22:33.960 --> 0:22:39.879 and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, 0:22:39.960 --> 0:22:44.000 and sin. Now, Jewish tradition asks a very important question 0:22:44.040 --> 0:22:47.920 about this verse. It asks, why must we know who 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:51.720 God is? Or even what right do we as human 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:58.320 beings have to expect God to list his attributes for us? Amazingly, 0:22:58.400 --> 0:23:02.960 the Jewish sagees answer, just as he is, so must 0:23:03.080 --> 0:23:07.840 you be? Why does God list his attributes so that 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:11.040 we can follow them, so that we can emulate them, 0:23:11.400 --> 0:23:12.080 so we can. 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:13.280 Be like them? 0:23:14.040 --> 0:23:18.440 Wow? What the sages are saying is this, God is compassionate, 0:23:18.480 --> 0:23:22.119 so we must be compassionate. God is gracious, so we 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:26.440 must be gracious. God forgives, so we must forgive others. 0:23:27.200 --> 0:23:28.159 Isn't that amazing? 0:23:28.920 --> 0:23:29.080 Now? 0:23:29.160 --> 0:23:32.520 Of course, we can never become exactly like God, but 0:23:32.920 --> 0:23:35.679 we can try to take some of his characteristics that 0:23:36.040 --> 0:23:39.320 could make us holy. What a gold to set for 0:23:39.400 --> 0:23:43.040 the chosen people, We flesh and blood humans get to 0:23:43.080 --> 0:23:47.800 model ourselves after the God of the universe. After the 0:23:47.880 --> 0:23:52.000 Sin of the Golden Calf, Moses ascended Mount Sinai again, 0:23:52.760 --> 0:23:55.879 but this time it was different. This time, God revealed 0:23:55.920 --> 0:23:59.520 something deeper, something far more intimate. He didn't just give 0:23:59.560 --> 0:24:03.520 Moses the law, but God revealed his very nature. I 0:24:03.560 --> 0:24:06.639 want to repeat again what God told Moses. God said, 0:24:07.160 --> 0:24:11.080 I am the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, 0:24:11.280 --> 0:24:17.320 slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Here God 0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:22.000 showed that even after betrayal, his love and patience endured. 0:24:22.640 --> 0:24:27.119 He's slow to anger. But this isn't just a description 0:24:27.280 --> 0:24:31.000 of God's character, My friends, we too are called to 0:24:31.040 --> 0:24:35.480 be slow to anger, to emulate this patience and grace 0:24:35.520 --> 0:24:40.280 that was shown to our ancestors. In Proverbs, we read this, 0:24:41.080 --> 0:24:45.800 a person's wisdom yields patience. It is to one's glory 0:24:45.960 --> 0:24:50.200 to overlook an offense. But in the original Hebrew, the 0:24:50.240 --> 0:24:54.080 opening word of this verse literally says, a person's wisdom 0:24:54.200 --> 0:24:58.560 makes him slow to anger. The verse uses the same 0:24:58.600 --> 0:25:03.080 words as Exodus third. And this ancient wisdom isn't just 0:25:03.119 --> 0:25:08.320 about controlling our tempers. It's about aligning our hearts with God. 0:25:09.359 --> 0:25:12.000 Like Moses, we have to find the precious stones of 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:16.160 patience and wisdom in our own hearts. Then we can 0:25:16.200 --> 0:25:20.240 share it with the world. When we do find these 0:25:20.480 --> 0:25:24.880 precious stones, that emulate God. We'll be able to reflect 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:28.199 a little bit more of God's glory, bringing peace and 0:25:28.600 --> 0:25:33.760 understanding to a world that's too often full of anger 0:25:33.920 --> 0:25:35.479 and hate. 0:25:35.680 --> 0:25:38.760 You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Egstein 0:25:39.000 --> 0:25:42.280 ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:46.520 Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only 0:25:46.560 --> 0:25:51.040 made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, 0:25:51.359 --> 0:25:55.240 Max bod Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive 0:25:55.240 --> 0:25:58.919 producers of The Chosen People with Yile Egstein, edited by 0:25:59.040 --> 0:26:03.840 Alberto a Venue narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced 0:26:03.840 --> 0:26:09.120 by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, 0:26:09.280 --> 0:26:12.840 Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. 0:26:13.200 --> 0:26:17.159 Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and 0:26:17.240 --> 0:26:22.080 Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, 0:26:22.320 --> 0:26:26.440 kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship 0:26:26.480 --> 0:26:29.440 of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot 0:26:29.480 --> 0:26:32.720 Com productions on the Prey dot Com app available on 0:26:32.800 --> 0:26:35.520 the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you 0:26:35.680 --> 0:26:39.000 enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and 0:26:39.080 --> 0:26:39.840 leave a review.