Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. The people had left the
Speaker 1: Red Sea with light feet and hearts, but their countenance
Speaker 1: was wilting after three days in the wilderness of sure
Speaker 1: without any fresh water to quench their weary throats. I'm
Speaker 1: afraid that these people will turn feral if we don't
Speaker 1: find water soon.
Speaker 2: Hey, what are we supposed to do now, Moses, You're.
Speaker 3: The one who brought us out here. It's your responsibility.
Speaker 3: What are we going to drink?
Speaker 2: We're gonna die out here.
Speaker 4: Ah, God just parted an entire sea for you people.
Speaker 2: As we speak, a cloud of smoke is before us
Speaker 2: to guide us to paradise.
Speaker 4: Yet here you are whining like children.
Speaker 1: For a moment, he wondered if the Lord would be
Speaker 1: silent now that he had freed his people. Had he
Speaker 1: resigned to doing enough? Were they on their own?
Speaker 5: Now?
Speaker 1: Was Moses to lead without the guidance of the Almighty?
Speaker 1: Who was he without the voice? These wrestlings of doubt
Speaker 1: and fear often visited his mind.
Speaker 5: If you will diligently listen to my voice and do
Speaker 5: that which is right in my eyes, and give you
Speaker 5: to my commandments and keep all my statues, I will
Speaker 5: put none of the disease on you that I put
Speaker 5: on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.
Speaker 6: When our limits are tested and our ability to provide
Speaker 6: for ourselves disappears, where do we turn? Do we turn
Speaker 6: against each other? Or do we turn our gaze upward
Speaker 6: toward the bread of life? Shallow, my friends, from here
Speaker 6: in the Holy Land, I'm ya l Exstein with the
Speaker 6: International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Welcome to the Chosen People.
Speaker 6: I've been listening along for a while now. First of all,
Speaker 6: thank you, as we say in Hebrew todirabat, passion and
Speaker 6: heart has been put into this project, and we're only
Speaker 6: getting started. If you've been inspired, entertained, encouraged, and if
Speaker 6: you've been enjoying it, we would just love it if
Speaker 6: you shared your thoughts in a review. I love to
Speaker 6: read them and see what you're thinking and any feedback
Speaker 6: you have, and I can't wait to hear from you.
Speaker 6: Now let's begin. What does it mean to trust in
Speaker 6: God's provision when your stomach is empty and the land
Speaker 6: is devoid of sustenance. Today we find the Chosen People.
Speaker 6: We have left behind the familiar oppression of Pharaoh for
Speaker 6: the vast unknown of the desert. They've witnessed miracles beyond comprehension,
Speaker 6: the parting of the Red Sea, the mighty hand of
Speaker 6: God guiding them through the impossible odds. But now hunger
Speaker 6: gnaws at their bellies and fear pulls at their hearts.
Speaker 6: Does their faith waver when the horizon shows no promise
Speaker 6: of food or water? As we journey with our ancestors,
Speaker 6: let's ask ourselves what does it take to rely on
Speaker 6: God when every physical sign seems to contradict his promises?
Speaker 1: Blighted winds howled from the north, Hot, dry, and cruel.
Speaker 1: The Desert of Sin was an infamous expanse, often said
Speaker 1: to be the burial grounds of the ancient nomads. The
Speaker 1: desert offered no sustenance, no shade, no mercy. It was
Speaker 1: an unwelcoming and cruel host, seemingly bent on sapping the
Speaker 1: life out of every traveler foolish enough to walk its sands.
Speaker 1: The children of Israel were growing weaker by the day.
Speaker 1: Sap of energy and optimism. Scanning this pack of misfits
Speaker 1: was Moses and Arron. Dust caked their cheese, and the
Speaker 1: weight of leadership drew their shoulders forward. Moses scanned the
Speaker 1: encampment of people, heads slumped forward, weary and devoid of sustenance.
Speaker 4: I'm worried about them, Marina.
Speaker 3: We're only fifteen days into our journey to Sinai, and
Speaker 3: I'm afraid their strength is already sapped.
Speaker 4: How much longer until we reach Mount Sinai?
Speaker 3: With this large group, it's almost impossible to know, especially
Speaker 3: if they're this week.
Speaker 7: Whatever happens, we can let them start eating the live stock.
Speaker 4: There are only ticket to gaining wealth in the new Land.
Speaker 4: We'll need them to bottle with other villages.
Speaker 3: They eat the livestock, It's the beginning of the end.
Speaker 1: As they pondered these things, a clamoring could be heard
Speaker 1: from the center of the encampment. Moses and Aaron ra
Speaker 1: and through the camp. Two men were exchanging blows with
Speaker 1: a circle of peeple surround them. One man lunged from
Speaker 1: the other and tackled into the ground. They tumbled in
Speaker 1: the dust, taking turns striking the other. Aaron ran and
Speaker 1: grabbed one of them, while her leaped from the crowd
Speaker 1: and grabbed another.
Speaker 2: You come near my goats again and I'll brand you
Speaker 2: with an iron.
Speaker 3: You're a paranoid fool. I didn't touch your goats.
Speaker 2: My wife heard you and your sons sneaking around our
Speaker 2: tent last night.
Speaker 3: Well she's either a liar or just as mad as
Speaker 3: you are. Take that back.
Speaker 1: The two men broke free and raised their fists to
Speaker 1: fight again. Moses had finally had enough. He slammed his
Speaker 1: staff into the ground and shouted.
Speaker 3: Enough of this will never last in this desertive way
Speaker 3: at each other's throats.
Speaker 1: The men both darted their eyes at Moses. It wasn't
Speaker 1: fear of his leadership that got their attention, but spite.
Speaker 2: We won't last at this raid anyway. We don't have
Speaker 2: any food. That's why this thief wanted to steal my goats.
Speaker 3: The Egyptians were the lucky ones. They got to die
Speaker 3: a swift death under the sea. We're going to wither
Speaker 3: away under the sun.
Speaker 1: The crowd was beginning to stir. Hunger grip them. Hunger
Speaker 1: causes anger, and anger causes all sorts of issues. Moses
Speaker 1: clenched his jaw tightly. Hunger ordered him as well, but
Speaker 1: he couldn't show it.
Speaker 3: The Lord has gotten us this far. He will provide
Speaker 3: for us. I'll believe it when my children aren't fainting
Speaker 3: from hunger, Moses.
Speaker 1: The crowd stirred some more murmurs hushed throughout the throng,
Speaker 1: a foreboding hum of chaos and rebellion.
Speaker 6: Remember when we were in Egypt, we sat around pots
Speaker 6: of meat and ate all the.
Speaker 2: Food we wantedsheah, until Moses came along and tore us away.
Speaker 1: Aaron had heard enough of it. He shouted at the
Speaker 1: people and raised his hands to his head in dismay.
Speaker 7: What is wrong with you people? We were slaves. We
Speaker 7: only ate what was ration to us. We came from
Speaker 7: far worse than this. Don't let the present suffer and
Speaker 7: repaint the pastors filled with bliss.
Speaker 1: Moses and Aaron listened to their murmuring grow louder, like
Speaker 1: a hive of angry bees, rationalizing with a hungry lobs
Speaker 1: a fruitless endeavor. They were so starving that even slavery
Speaker 1: seemed like a welcome respite from their woes. Aaron and
Speaker 1: Moses exchanged concerned looks. They needed food, and quickly Moses
Speaker 1: stormed off to see God's counsel. He believed that the
Speaker 1: Lord would provide, but his timing was often a mystery.
Speaker 3: What would we do God, how will we put food
Speaker 3: in the bellies with not sacrificing our future.
Speaker 4: We need bread.
Speaker 3: We can't farmer trade of hardest in this desolate place.
Speaker 1: Moses hands trembled from fatigue. He took deep breath to
Speaker 1: regain control, but to no avail. Then the Lord answered.
Speaker 1: He did not speak with a booming voice from the heavens,
Speaker 1: or with the strike of lightning. His voice was gentle, calm,
Speaker 1: and reassuring, like the babbling of a familiar brook.
Speaker 5: I will rain down bread from heaven for you. I
Speaker 5: will provide the people with food to sustain them. Each day.
Speaker 5: No more and no less will they be given. This
Speaker 5: would be to test their obedience. For six days they
Speaker 5: will bear the food, and on the sixth day they
Speaker 5: will store food for the Sabbath.
Speaker 1: Moses's heart fluttered in his chest, although he didn't allow
Speaker 1: himself to feel relieved. The Lord's promise of food came
Speaker 1: with a test, and he wasn't so sure the children
Speaker 1: of Israel were in a condition to be tested. Nervously,
Speaker 1: Moses returned to the throng of people. Aaron was trying
Speaker 1: and failing to calm them down. They were growing more
Speaker 1: unruly by.
Speaker 2: The second I refuse to die here from starvation, I'm
Speaker 2: taking my clan out of here and search for food.
Speaker 3: We'll follow you. Better to die searching for fool than
Speaker 3: waste away.
Speaker 4: Here ratherin Please have faith. Hasn't our God got in
Speaker 4: us this far? My God is my stomach. I shall
Speaker 4: follow him where he leads here here.
Speaker 1: Moses approached silently, but his presence was felt. The crowd's
Speaker 1: high pitched wine turned to a low grumble when he
Speaker 1: presented himself. They waited with furrowed brows for him to speak.
Speaker 1: Moses tried to hide his irritation, but with little sin.
Speaker 8: Sass, Your constant complaining is kept me up at night.
Speaker 8: Your childish whining is an incessant drip that won't end
Speaker 8: lucky for you.
Speaker 4: I am not God. If I was, I wouldn't miss
Speaker 4: a patient.
Speaker 1: Moses paused and caught himself. He shook his head and
Speaker 1: tried to speak with more compassion, a compassion that flowed
Speaker 1: from the Lord's heart.
Speaker 8: Even though you've already forgotten his faithfulness, Sir, Lord has
Speaker 8: heard your grumbling. Tonight you will all be reminded of
Speaker 8: his compassion and character.
Speaker 4: It's about time.
Speaker 3: Who are you to complain. Was it you who parted
Speaker 3: sees and crushed Pharaoh?
Speaker 1: Moses gestured to Aaron and himself, and then raised a
Speaker 1: finger at the people.
Speaker 4: Who are we that you should grumble against us? Are
Speaker 4: we your mothers? Do we owe you something?
Speaker 8: You should know that every time you grumble against us,
Speaker 8: it's actually.
Speaker 4: Against the lawn, the one who saved you.
Speaker 1: Moses felt her hand on his shoulder. It was Miriam,
Speaker 1: giving him a reassuring squeeze and a signal to calm down.
Speaker 1: Moses flared his nostrils, ready to snap again, but stopped.
Speaker 1: He relented, turned away from the crowd. He spoke to Aaron, saying.
Speaker 4: Tell them to come before the law with their complaints.
Speaker 8: He's heard them, will move.
Speaker 1: Moses skulked off, murmuring to himself in frustration. Aaron sighed,
Speaker 1: then turned to the crowd.
Speaker 4: The Lord has heard your Conplease, he has not turned
Speaker 4: a deaf ear to our needs. Behold for yourselves.
Speaker 1: Aaron gestured to the expanse behind them. The desert wind
Speaker 1: churned and a radiant cloud formed in the sky. Lightning
Speaker 1: struck within the gray cloud, causing it to ignite with
Speaker 1: a sapphire glow. It was the glory of the Lord.
Speaker 1: He was coming. Moses watched from a nearby ridge. The
Speaker 1: wind bit at his cheek. He pulled his cloak in tighter,
Speaker 1: still simmering in anger, towards the people. Then, in a
Speaker 1: manner only fitting for Moses, the Lord spoke.
Speaker 5: At twilight, you will eat meat. In the morning, you
Speaker 5: will be filled with bread. They will know that I
Speaker 5: am the Lord.
Speaker 1: Thunder clapped, and Moses saw the dark skies flash with
Speaker 1: radiant light. Their God was on the move. Despite their complaints,
Speaker 1: despite their grumbling and childish whining, despite their ingratitude, God
Speaker 1: would provide for them. The cloud gold swirled overhead. The
Speaker 1: charcoal skies, mixed with the setting sun caused a crimson
Speaker 1: hue to envelop the land. The people of Israel settled
Speaker 1: in for the night, anxious and hungry. Then a sound
Speaker 1: came from the distance. Moses and Aaron exited their tents
Speaker 1: and looked up.
Speaker 4: Are we being attacked?
Speaker 1: Suddenly and violently, to the swarm of quail all through
Speaker 1: the canyons. The storm in the distance pushed them all
Speaker 1: from the east. They flew and.
Speaker 4: Ran through the camp, quick get them.
Speaker 1: The people emerged from their tents. At first they were
Speaker 1: filled with terror, but it quickly turned to joy as
Speaker 1: they realized what the Lord had done. Men, women and
Speaker 1: children frantically grabbed nets and sticks to catch the quail.
Speaker 1: There was enough for each household to enjoy. That night,
Speaker 1: the smell of meat cooked over camphires wafted upward with
Speaker 1: the sound of laughter. It was like incense to the Lord.
Speaker 1: Moses scanned the crowd, smiles and full bellies were illuminated
Speaker 1: by the flames. Moses sat by himself at the edge
Speaker 1: of camp, content to be alone and listen to the
Speaker 1: people's laughter. Miriam approached with a bowl of stew and
Speaker 1: placed it in Moses's lap.
Speaker 4: This is more than we could have asked. What's so funny?
Speaker 8: You're right by His bounty is more than enough, But
Speaker 8: the wood isn't even finished yet. He can do exceedingly
Speaker 8: more than we could ever ask or imagine.
Speaker 1: It was before the first light of dawn. All was quiet,
Speaker 1: still peaceful. The children of Israel slept soundly that night,
Speaker 1: having full bellies for the first time in weeks. The
Speaker 1: morning mists slithered over the valley, bringing the morning dew.
Speaker 1: It lay gently around the Israelite camp, rising with the
Speaker 1: jew came a flake like substance. It laced the ground
Speaker 1: like frost. Everyone emerged from their tent and looked around curiously.
Speaker 1: Nobody knew what to make of it.
Speaker 4: What is this?
Speaker 3: Don't touch it?
Speaker 4: It could be deadly.
Speaker 2: It looks harmless.
Speaker 4: See it's like cotton.
Speaker 1: The people gathered around, poking it with sticks and wondering
Speaker 1: if they should be concerned. Moses came up from behind eat.
Speaker 1: They all turned confused and skeptical.
Speaker 8: This is the daily bread the Lord's given you. He
Speaker 8: has commanded that you take an omer and measure enough
Speaker 8: for each person in your tent.
Speaker 4: No more, no less.
Speaker 1: The people gathered up the mystery food. Some took more
Speaker 1: than others, but nobody lacked any. Moses picked some up
Speaker 1: for himself. It was light in his palms, flaky and scentless.
Speaker 1: He pressed it to his lips, feeling its soft and
Speaker 1: inviting texture. He put it in his mouth. It was chewy,
Speaker 1: but not fibrous. It was sweet, but didn't burst with flavor,
Speaker 1: like a date or fig It was pleasant, but not overwhelming.
Speaker 1: The people enjoyed and ate until their bellies were full.
Speaker 1: He looked around. People began to fight.
Speaker 2: Nor harm had taken a little more for later, I mean,
Speaker 2: the big man.
Speaker 6: After all, you can take ext you, then I can
Speaker 6: take ext you.
Speaker 7: Well, what if we want to save some just at
Speaker 7: least the children get hungry at night?
Speaker 2: We should save some in jars for our journey.
Speaker 3: Who knows if it'll ever come again?
Speaker 4: No more, no less.
Speaker 3: Do as a lord commands, asked him for tomorrow. We
Speaker 3: don't know if it will come tomorrow.
Speaker 1: The people were frantic. They had been so hungry and
Speaker 1: deprived that they couldn't trust that the food would be
Speaker 1: there tomorrow. They began fighting, holding whatever they could for themselves.
Speaker 4: Of course, they still haven't learned.
Speaker 1: Moses clenched his staff, his stomach boiled with rage.
Speaker 4: Their children want they can't follow simple instructions.
Speaker 1: That Moses turned to hear the people clamoring over something.
Speaker 1: He looked down and saw the bread slowly melting away
Speaker 1: with the afternoon sun. The bread that had been hoarded rotted,
Speaker 1: giving way to maggots. A terrible odor emerged from the
Speaker 1: stolen substance. The people quickly learned that the Lord wasn't
Speaker 1: giving them a suggestion, and he told them to only
Speaker 1: take enough for the day. He was giving them a command.
Speaker 1: They needed to trust him, needed to understand that He
Speaker 1: was their daily bread, their daily provision. Each day God
Speaker 1: provided food, but each day the people grew anxious and
Speaker 1: tried to save more. Yet day after day God provided
Speaker 1: for their needs. Slowly they began to trust that the
Speaker 1: Lord would protect and provide for them. He was their God,
Speaker 1: and just as He clothed the mountain range with wildflowers
Speaker 1: and provided seed for the birds of the air to eat,
Speaker 1: he would take care of his chosen people.
Speaker 6: This story is incredible. It's like I'm standing there among
Speaker 6: my ancestors looking up at the sky in wonder. Can
Speaker 6: you imagine, and then every morning finding the ground covered
Speaker 6: with bread from heaven. Have you ever wondered why Israelites
Speaker 6: had gathered the manna every day? Why couldn't they just
Speaker 6: store it and avoid the daily effort. Well, the answer
Speaker 6: is pretty profound. You see, the mana wasn't just for
Speaker 6: feeding their bodies. It was for growing their faith one
Speaker 6: day at a time. It reminded the Chosen people each
Speaker 6: and every day that God was their provider, not just
Speaker 6: for their physical needs, but also for their spiritual wellbeing.
Speaker 6: The Jewish ages suggest that the mana, while looking the
Speaker 6: same to everyone, tasted differently depending on what each person wanted.
Speaker 6: Isn't that a wonderful picture of our relationship with God.
Speaker 6: He knows each of our favorite foods, he knows each
Speaker 6: of our needs, and he meets us right where we are.
Speaker 6: There's a verse in the story I'd like to take
Speaker 6: a closer look at. In verse five, God tells the
Speaker 6: Israelites that quote, on the sixth day, they are to
Speaker 6: prepare what they bring in, and that is to be
Speaker 6: twice as much as they gather on the other days.
Speaker 4: End quote.
Speaker 6: Here, the Bible tells us that a double portion of
Speaker 6: the mana fell on Friday, and that no mana fell
Speaker 6: on Saturday. On Shabbat the Sabbath. This was to emphasize
Speaker 6: how different the Sabbath was to be from the other
Speaker 6: days of the week, that we must rest just as
Speaker 6: God rested on the seventh day of creation. What's interesting
Speaker 6: is that we still commemorate the Mana every single Shabbat.
Speaker 6: At each of the Sabbath meals, we have two whole
Speaker 6: loaves of bread on the table. Usually the special shabab
Speaker 6: bread is called hala. Those two loaves that are on
Speaker 6: the Shabbat table represent the double portion of the mana
Speaker 6: that fell on Friday. God's promised to us that if
Speaker 6: we observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and spirituality,
Speaker 6: he will make sure that we are not disadvantaged by
Speaker 6: refraining from work on that day. Even as we cover
Speaker 6: the hala with a decorative cloth that represents the dew
Speaker 6: that enclosed the mana, we even cover the halla with
Speaker 6: the gritive cloth that represents the dew that enclosed the
Speaker 6: mana after it fell to the ground from heaven. It
Speaker 6: really does feel good to eat heavenly bread every single Shabbat.
Speaker 6: One of my favorite places here in Israel is the
Speaker 6: Jaffa flea market. For me, it's an adventure rummaging through
Speaker 6: layers of history woven into eclectic items. But I have
Speaker 6: a friend who sees so much more. As she digs
Speaker 6: through the piles of things for sale, she gazes at
Speaker 6: what others disregard as trash, and she sees treasures. She
Speaker 6: buys things that I wouldn't give a second glance, And
Speaker 6: when she brings her treasures home, they transform into a
Speaker 6: priceless piece of art. Her ability to see beauty in
Speaker 6: the strange and the unattractive always inspires me. It reminds
Speaker 6: me that life is shaped by our perception. When the
Speaker 6: Mana first appeared, the Israelites were puzzled. They asked, what
Speaker 6: is it? In Hebrew? You say, man Who? Which is
Speaker 6: How it's Mana got its name.
Speaker 4: But just as.
Speaker 6: God sent Mana to the Israelites, he sends us what
Speaker 6: we need each day through our experiences, the people we meet,
Speaker 6: the weather that we encounter, and anything else that unfolds
Speaker 6: around us. It's not just chance, its destiny. Like the Israelites,
Speaker 6: we often look at our circumstances and ask man who.
Speaker 4: What is it?
Speaker 6: Is it good or is it bad? And just as
Speaker 6: the Israelites could determine the taste of the Mana, we
Speaker 6: should remember to shape the flavor of our lives. It's
Speaker 6: not what happens to us that matters, is how we
Speaker 6: choose to feel about what happens. You see, if we
Speaker 6: decide that life is terrible, then life really will be terrible.
Speaker 6: But on the other hand, if we believe that everything
Speaker 6: is ultimately for the best, then we will experience life
Speaker 6: as God's blessings.
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 dog comproduction is only made
Speaker 1: 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 Paulinier, 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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