Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Behold, I would destroy them with the earth. I would
Speaker 2: bring a flood to wipe this earth clean.
Speaker 3: Remembered me.
Speaker 2: Remember my family, had the animals with me.
Speaker 1: God hadn't forgotten Noah, the Creator remembered him, and all
Speaker 1: the beasts within the ark.
Speaker 2: Go out from the ark, Noah, as a sign of
Speaker 2: my covenant with you, I have set my bow in
Speaker 2: the clouds.
Speaker 1: The never ending pattern of sin and struggle didn't cease
Speaker 1: with the flood. Cup after cup, Noah drank away his sorrows,
Speaker 1: yet it only numbed the pain. His youngest son, Ham
Speaker 1: watched from a distance, Disdain etched on his face as
Speaker 1: he witnessed his father's shameful display.
Speaker 4: I present to you the honorable, the stoic, and the
Speaker 4: righteous Noah, naked and sleeping in his own vomit.
Speaker 5: Heem, you've disgraced our father, cursed, be catered for what
Speaker 5: his father is done.
Speaker 6: Shut up, old man.
Speaker 1: Men's sins stretched alongside Noah's descendants. But God's promises remained.
Speaker 1: His faithfulness wouldn't waver even in the face of human imperfection.
Speaker 7: Pride has a way of blinding us, of making us
Speaker 7: think that we're invincible. We start to believe we don't
Speaker 7: need anyone, not even God. But in our pursuit of greatness,
Speaker 7: we often lose sight of what truly matters. We forget
Speaker 7: that our worth isn't in our achievements or in the
Speaker 7: name we make for ourselves. Rather, it's in the name
Speaker 7: given to us by God. Shallo my friend from here
Speaker 7: in the Holy Land of Israel i'm El Extein with
Speaker 7: International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, this is the Chosen People.
Speaker 7: In each episode, we escape into the world of the
Speaker 7: Hebrew Bible, exploring stories of faith, failure, love and loss.
Speaker 7: As we press into the story of Israel, we'll discover
Speaker 7: what it means to live a life of purpose and
Speaker 7: step into the calling that God has for each of us.
Speaker 7: God chose the nation of Israel a Mount Sinai, but
Speaker 7: through their story we will discover one abiding truth that
Speaker 7: we are all chosen for something great. If you are
Speaker 7: interested in discovering more about the incredible work that God
Speaker 7: is doing through the Fellowship, I invite you to visit
Speaker 7: our website at IFCJ dot org. That's IFCJ dot org.
Speaker 7: Now let's begin in the beginning, when the earth was young.
Speaker 7: Humanity had one voice and one vision. It was a
Speaker 7: world where everybody spoke the same laguage, where every word
Speaker 7: uttered was understood by all. But what becomes of humanity
Speaker 7: when we raise our collective voice not in worship but
Speaker 7: in selfish ambition? Before us stands the story of the
Speaker 7: Tower of Babel and the tale of divine intervention, where
Speaker 7: language itself becomes a tool to humble the proud. Listen now,
Speaker 7: and let the wisdom of this story guide us in
Speaker 7: our own quest for meaning.
Speaker 1: The sons of Noah spread across the land, hands stretching
Speaker 1: out to seize the promise God gave them. Jafforth sired
Speaker 1: many sons, whose clans became the people of the coastlands.
Speaker 1: They were voyages, fishermen, and tradesmen of great renown. Their
Speaker 1: influence stretched beyond the seas to lands untouched. The sons
Speaker 1: of Shem scaled the hill country of the east. They
Speaker 1: were people of the promise, just as God had foretold,
Speaker 1: from his line would come Terra, the father of Abraham.
Speaker 1: Yet the sons of Ham were cursed with ambition. His
Speaker 1: sons were Canaan, Egypt, Put and Cush out of the
Speaker 1: line of cush came a man unlike any other, a
Speaker 1: man of strength, influence, and power. His name was Nimrod.
Speaker 1: Nimrod stood atop the hill, a silhouette against the dying
Speaker 1: light of the sun. The air was thick with the
Speaker 1: scent of earth and blood. The spoils of his latest
Speaker 1: hunt arrayed around him. His cloak, fashioned from the pelts
Speaker 1: of lions, billowed in the evening breeze. To his people,
Speaker 1: he was not just a man. He was a legend,
Speaker 1: a giant among mortals, a hunter favored by the Creator.
Speaker 1: As the last rays of sunlight bled out of the sky,
Speaker 1: Nimrod descended from the hill with the carcass of a
Speaker 1: stag carried over his shoulders, His eyes sharp and piercing
Speaker 1: as an eagle's, scanned the crowd at the bottom. They
Speaker 1: looked upon him with awe and reverence, whispers of his
Speaker 1: name rippling through the assembly like a prayer. The whispers
Speaker 1: rose like a song, eventually becoming a chant singing his glory.
Speaker 1: The great hunter's gaze fell upon the carcass of a stag,
Speaker 1: its antlers spanning wide, a testament to its once proud stature.
Speaker 1: Nimrod's hand rested on its flank, his fingers brushing against
Speaker 1: the coarse fur.
Speaker 5: The night we feast, we honor the life taken, and
Speaker 5: we give thanks to the Creator for his bounty.
Speaker 1: He watched as his men began to prepare the feast,
Speaker 1: the crackle of firewood and the savory scent of roasting
Speaker 1: meat filling the air. Nimrod turned away, his mind already
Speaker 1: drifting to thoughts of the hunt to come. He craved
Speaker 1: another challenge in the wilds of China. For Nimrod, the
Speaker 1: hunt was more than the means of survival. It was
Speaker 1: a test, a sacred right that affirmed his dominance over
Speaker 1: nature and man alike. His camp was a sprawling expanse
Speaker 1: of tents and makeshift shelters, filled with warriors and craftsmen,
Speaker 1: women and children. It was a kingdom in its infancy,
Speaker 1: a realm forged from blood and sweat under the rule
Speaker 1: of a man who feared nothing. As he walked through
Speaker 1: the camp, his people parted before him, their eyes shining
Speaker 1: with admiration. Nimrod's presence was a promise of protection and prosperity.
Speaker 1: In his tent, lit by the flickering light of torches,
Speaker 1: Nimrod sat before a map of his domain. It was
Speaker 1: drawn from charcoal on parchment crafted from tanned pelts. The
Speaker 1: parchment was marked with symbols and drawings, a record of
Speaker 1: his conquests and the cities he had founded, Babel, Erek, Akad,
Speaker 1: and Kalna. His kingdom was growing, and with it his power.
Speaker 1: Yet Nimrod's ambitions stretched further still. He envisioned a city
Speaker 1: like no other, a monument to his greatness, a testament
Speaker 1: to human ingenuity and divine favor. A shadow fell across
Speaker 1: the entrance of his tent. Nimrod looked up to see
Speaker 1: one of his trusted servants, a man named Elum, standing
Speaker 1: there with a grim expression.
Speaker 4: My Lord, the scouts have returned. There are whispers of
Speaker 4: descent among some of the tribes.
Speaker 5: What's the matter.
Speaker 4: Your beau is mighty, Lord Nimrod, and your arrow strong,
Speaker 4: but it's reach wanes in the border Lads, Some tribal
Speaker 4: elders seek to make a name for themselves by stretching
Speaker 4: further out. They want to scatter as the descendants of
Speaker 4: Jpth and Shem have troubling. It was the divine mandate
Speaker 4: passed from the forefathers, was it not? We are meant
Speaker 4: to stretch outward and fill the earth.
Speaker 5: Yes, but that isn't how greatness is achieved, Elam. Greatness
Speaker 5: is built brick by brick, stone by stone, on top
Speaker 5: of one another. If we spread and disperse, we weaken
Speaker 5: what we've built here, pray, scatter outward, but the predators
Speaker 5: gather together.
Speaker 4: Would you like me to send more men to the
Speaker 4: borderlands to impose your will?
Speaker 5: No, No, that would be shortsighted. Why use force against
Speaker 5: each other when we can use force for each other.
Speaker 5: The these people dissent because they want to be significant.
Speaker 5: They don't want to live in my shadow. But what
Speaker 5: if I could somehow manufacture greatness for them? What if
Speaker 5: I could give them the feeling of greatness under my rule.
Speaker 4: Are you suggesting you give up some of your power
Speaker 4: and divide it among the elders?
Speaker 5: Oh, no, sweet Ela, I don't need to relinquish freedom
Speaker 5: or power. I need to rally them under an ideology,
Speaker 5: a cause that gives them a sense of significance. But
Speaker 5: it will all be under my rule.
Speaker 4: Will you build a temple?
Speaker 1: Nimrod rose to his feet, his stature imposing even in
Speaker 1: the confines of the tent. He opened the flap of
Speaker 1: his tent and looked up, gazing at the night sky.
Speaker 1: The stars scattered like diamonds across the velvet darkness.
Speaker 2: Not a temple.
Speaker 5: Temples are for gods.
Speaker 3: We are men.
Speaker 5: We will build a tower.
Speaker 1: Nimrod turned to his friend and grabbed his shoulders, his
Speaker 1: massive hands nearly wrapped around his entire back. He shook
Speaker 1: him enthusiastically.
Speaker 5: I have been blessed by God with the strength and
Speaker 5: the will to lead. I will lead them to greatness. Upward,
Speaker 5: we will ascend. People want to scatter abroad for greatness.
Speaker 5: They want to go into the unknown and venture out. No,
Speaker 5: no true greatness is found above. We will build a
Speaker 5: city so great, so large, that it reaches the heavens.
Speaker 4: I can begin preparations. We can consolidate the tribes and
Speaker 4: bring them closer together. Of all your kingdoms, where shall
Speaker 4: this tower bee? Where will the people gather?
Speaker 1: Nimrod looked back at Elam with a glint in his eye.
Speaker 1: His mind was set, his path clear. He would build
Speaker 1: his tower, and it would reach the heavens. In doing so,
Speaker 1: he would carve his name into the annals of history,
Speaker 1: a name spoken with reverence and fear for generations to come,
Speaker 1: For Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter, was more than a man.
Speaker 1: He was a force of nature, a king among kings,
Speaker 1: destined to leave his mark on the world, and nothing,
Speaker 1: not even the will of God, would stand in his way.
Speaker 5: Bring them to babble.
Speaker 1: Nimrod's dreams were turned to stone and stacked upon each other.
Speaker 1: His kingdom rose from the plains of China. The city
Speaker 1: he founded was a marvel of architecture and ambition, its
Speaker 1: war high and strong, and streets bustling with life. Babel,
Speaker 1: erech Akad, and Calner. These were the jewels of his realm,
Speaker 1: each a testament to his vision and might. Yet for
Speaker 1: all their splendor, they were but the beginning of Nimrod's
Speaker 1: ground design. In the heart of Babel, Nimrod stood atop
Speaker 1: a balcony overlooking his city. Below, the streets teemed with people,
Speaker 1: merchants hawking their wares, craftsmen plying their trades, children playing
Speaker 1: and laughing. It was a city alive with energy and purpose,
Speaker 1: a city that bore the mark of its king. Nimrod's
Speaker 1: gaze was steady, his expression one of pride and determination.
Speaker 1: This was his creation, his legacy, and he would see
Speaker 1: it flourish. Ela interrupted his gaze.
Speaker 4: My Lord, the council is assembled. They await your command.
Speaker 1: Nimrod nodded, his eyes lingering on the city for a
Speaker 1: moment longer before he turned and strode Inside. The council
Speaker 1: chamber was a grand hall. Firs from Nimrod's hunts laced
Speaker 1: the ground. The pelts of bears, lions, and wolves draped
Speaker 1: over his throne, centered at the head of a large table.
Speaker 1: Beside the table sat the leaders of China, men who
Speaker 1: had sworn fealty to Nimrod and shared in his vision
Speaker 1: for the kingdom.
Speaker 5: Welcome, friends, Our kingdom thrives, but there is still much
Speaker 5: to be done. The cities we have built are merely
Speaker 5: stepping stones to our ultimate goal, a city that will
Speaker 5: be the envy of the world, a tower that will
Speaker 5: touch the heavens.
Speaker 1: Murmurs of agreement rippled through the council. What is Nimo's
Speaker 1: ambitions were well known, and his charisma had won him
Speaker 1: the loyalty of even the most skeptical among them. Yet
Speaker 1: as he spoke, a note of caution crept into a
Speaker 1: few voices. My Lord, there.
Speaker 4: Are whispers of unrest among some of the tribes. They
Speaker 4: fear that our ambition may bring the wrath of God
Speaker 4: upon us.
Speaker 5: Haven't you heard the songs? I am Nimrod, the hunter
Speaker 5: who stands before God. He is the one who has
Speaker 5: blessed us with this land and this power. It is
Speaker 5: our duty to use it to its fullest. We will
Speaker 5: build this tower, and in doing so, we will show
Speaker 5: the world that the people of Babo and the entire
Speaker 5: region of Shanar are not to be trifled with.
Speaker 1: The towers.
Speaker 4: How we reached God.
Speaker 6: The tower is how.
Speaker 4: We reach greatness.
Speaker 5: Perhaps together we can reach paradise again. Maybe we could
Speaker 5: be like God himself.
Speaker 1: The council members nodded. Nimrod's words had a way of
Speaker 1: dispelling doubts, of igniting a fire in the hearts of
Speaker 1: his followers. He was a leader unlike any other, a
Speaker 1: man whose vision extended beyond the horizon, whose will could
Speaker 1: bend even the most obstinate to his cause. In the
Speaker 1: days that followed, Nimrod's vision began to take shape. Plans
Speaker 1: were drawn, resources gathered, and work on the tower commenced.
Speaker 1: The people of Babel toiled day and night, their efforts
Speaker 1: guided by the hand of their king. The tower rose steadily,
Speaker 1: its base broad and robust, its height a testament to
Speaker 1: human ingenuity and ambition. Yet for all the progress made,
Speaker 1: some harbor doubts. Among them was Javon, a builder of
Speaker 1: great skill and wisdom, who had been tasked with overseeing
Speaker 1: the construction. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon,
Speaker 1: Javon approached Nimrod, his expression troubled.
Speaker 6: My Lord, I fear our ambition may be our undoing.
Speaker 6: Some speak of omens. God may not look kindly upon
Speaker 6: our attempt to reach the heavens.
Speaker 5: It is God who has given us the strength and
Speaker 5: the will to achieve greatness. We honor him by striving
Speaker 5: for the impossible and pushing the boundaries of what is
Speaker 5: known and possible. Fear not, javan We are destined for glory.
Speaker 1: Javon nodded, though the worry did not leave his eyes.
Speaker 1: As he departed, Nimrod watched him go, a flicker of
Speaker 1: uncertainty crossing his mind. He pushed it aside, focusing instead
Speaker 1: on the task at hand. The tower would be built,
Speaker 1: and it would stand as a monument to his reign,
Speaker 1: a symbol of the indomitable spirit of China. Days turned
Speaker 1: into weeks, and weeks into months. The tower rose higher
Speaker 1: and higher, its shadow stretching long across the plains. The
Speaker 1: people of Babel looked upon it with a mixture of
Speaker 1: awe and pride, their faith in Nimrod unshaken, for in
Speaker 1: their king they saw a man who could turn dreams
Speaker 1: into reality and lead them to unimagined heights. And so,
Speaker 1: under the watchful eye of Nimrod, the Tower of Babel
Speaker 1: continued to rise. Fires burned in the heart of Babel,
Speaker 1: casting long shadows that danced across the half built tower.
Speaker 1: Nimrod stood on a platform high above the ground, surveying
Speaker 1: the work below. The structure was a marvel, its base
Speaker 1: broad and solid, climbing steadily towards the sky. Every stone laid,
Speaker 1: every brick set was a step closer to his vision. Below,
Speaker 1: people were chanting and singing. A smile curled on the
Speaker 1: edges of Nimrod's face.
Speaker 2: It was working.
Speaker 1: They had made the tower a religion in itself. They
Speaker 1: wouldn't dream of leaving it, or leaving him. They would
Speaker 1: remain because their greatness was tethered to the tower. Nimrod
Speaker 1: turned to his gathered advisers, their faces illuminated by the
Speaker 1: flickering light. They were his most trusted lieutenants, the pillars
Speaker 1: upon which he built his kingdom. Yet even in their
Speaker 1: eyes he could see the flicker of doubt. Javon stepped forward,
Speaker 1: his eyes earnest.
Speaker 6: My lord, the tower's design is sound. The higher we go,
Speaker 6: the more challenging it becomes. The weight materials and labor
Speaker 6: owes a new set of challenges. We must be cautious.
Speaker 5: Cautian has its placed, Jabi. But this is not a
Speaker 5: time for fear. It is a time for oldness. We
Speaker 5: will face these challenges and overcome them, just as we
Speaker 5: have overcome all others.
Speaker 1: The days that followed were a blur of activity. The
Speaker 1: people of Babel worked tirelessly, driven by their desire to
Speaker 1: be part of something greater than themselves. Yet as the
Speaker 1: tower grew, so did the whispers of descent. Some questioned
Speaker 1: the wisdom of such an undertaking, fearing the wrath of
Speaker 1: the Elohim. Others worried about the strain it placed on
Speaker 1: resources and labor. Nimrod heard these whispers, made them no heed.
Speaker 1: He had come too far, sacrificed too much to be swayed.
Speaker 2: By fear and doubt.
Speaker 1: One night, as the stars shone brightly, above. Nimrod found
Speaker 1: himself alone at the base of the tower. He placed
Speaker 1: his hand on the cool stone, feeling the pulse of
Speaker 1: the dream that lived within it. The tower was more
Speaker 1: than a monument. It was his legacy, a mark that
Speaker 1: would endure long after he was gone. A figure approached,
Speaker 1: and Nimrod turned to see Javon standing there, his expression thoughtful.
Speaker 6: My Lord, I have seen many wanderers in my time.
Speaker 3: What this tower?
Speaker 4: This is something beyond anything I ever imagined.
Speaker 5: It is the work of our many hands, Javan, But
Speaker 5: it is also the work of one vision, a vision
Speaker 5: that we share.
Speaker 1: Javon top of the tower, his eyes reflecting the firelight.
Speaker 3: Do you ever fear.
Speaker 6: My Lord, that we are reaching to hide that God
Speaker 6: might take offense?
Speaker 1: Nimrod's smile faded, as expression turning solemn.
Speaker 5: I have heard this exhausted warning too many times. Has
Speaker 5: the Allowheem not given us the earth, the sky, and
Speaker 5: the strength to build to dream? If we do not
Speaker 5: use these gifts, if we do not strive for greatness,
Speaker 5: then we dishonor him. This tower is not an affront,
Speaker 5: It is an offering.
Speaker 1: Javon nodded slowly, his doubts not entirely dispelled. Nimrod sensed
Speaker 1: his trepidation. Irritated, the king continued his pontificating.
Speaker 5: And why should I fear him anyways? Did he not
Speaker 5: flood the earth? Did he not curse my grandfather ham?
Speaker 5: If he doesn't accept my offering, then maybe I shall
Speaker 5: build my tower even higher higher than him. Maybe then
Speaker 5: it is he who will fear me.
Speaker 1: Nimrod's voice reverberated through the empty stone halls. Javon said nothing. Together,
Speaker 1: they stood silently, gazing up at the tower that reached
Speaker 1: ever closer to the heavens. Dawn broke, casting a golden
Speaker 1: light over the plains of China. Babel awoke to the
Speaker 1: sound of hammers, chisels, and stone being set upon stone.
Speaker 1: Nimrod watched them with pride, his heart swelling with the
Speaker 1: knowledge that they were building something that would endure, something
Speaker 1: that would be remembered for generations to come. As the
Speaker 1: day wore on, the heat grew oppressive. The sun beat
Speaker 1: down mercilessly on the workers, sweat pouring from their brows
Speaker 1: as they toiled under the watchful eyes of the overseers.
Speaker 1: Nimrod's presence was a constant, his shadow falling over every.
Speaker 2: Aspect of the project.
Speaker 1: He was a man possessed, driven by a vision that
Speaker 1: consumed him. The sounds of construction filled the air. Hammers
Speaker 1: and chisels rang out in a symphony of labor, mingling
Speaker 1: with the shouts of foremen and the grunts of workers.
Speaker 1: Nimrod moved among them, his presence a constant reminder of
Speaker 1: the stakes. He spoke with the Masons, offering words of
Speaker 1: encouragement and were necessary stern rebukes. His people needed to
Speaker 1: see that their king was as invested in this endeavor
Speaker 1: as they were. In the midst of the chaos, a
Speaker 1: cry went up. Nimroud turned to see a group of
Speaker 1: workers gather around a fallen scaffold, a man pinned beneath
Speaker 1: the wreckage. He strode over, his expression grin.
Speaker 5: What happened here?
Speaker 4: The supports gave way, my lord, it was an accident.
Speaker 5: There are no accidents, only failures of preparation and vigilance.
Speaker 5: And sure that that man receives the care he needs,
Speaker 5: and see to it that the supports are reinforced properly.
Speaker 5: We cannot afford any more mistakes.
Speaker 6: Yes, my Lord, it will be done.
Speaker 1: Javen came out from among them, eyes intense with anger.
Speaker 6: I told you that something like this might happen.
Speaker 8: It will continue if we don't relent.
Speaker 5: We will only relent when I stand atop my tower,
Speaker 5: looking out of the world like it's an apple fitting
Speaker 5: in the palm of my hand.
Speaker 1: Nimrod gesture to the crowd, charisma dripping from him like sweat.
Speaker 5: Are the people of Babel cowards? Will you shrink back
Speaker 5: at the first sign of weakness? Will you scatter and
Speaker 5: scurry like prey? Or will you gather and build like predators?
Speaker 5: We will make a name for ourselves. We will be great.
Speaker 5: We will build something to rival Eden.
Speaker 1: The crowd cheered, but Javons slunk back into the rubble,
Speaker 1: helping the fallen workers to their feet. The Lord God
Speaker 1: saw Babel. The tower rose brick by brick, reaching toward
Speaker 1: the heavens, a monument to human pride and unity. But
Speaker 1: the people of Babel were sorrowfully mistaken. No earthy structure
Speaker 1: could pierce the divine realm, the celestial plains where the
Speaker 1: Almighty dwelled. These realms existed beyond the mortal coil, destined
Speaker 1: to one day reside in the hearts of those who
Speaker 1: trusted in him. Seeing the path to their doom. The
Speaker 1: Council of God convened to thwart their endeavors.
Speaker 2: They are one people, unified in language and yet unified
Speaker 2: to destruction. This is only the beginning of what they
Speaker 2: will do. Soon, they will have the power to do
Speaker 2: whatever their heart desires, and nothing will be impossible.
Speaker 1: God knew men's hearts. He knew that their plans ultimately
Speaker 1: led to their demise, so he crafted a plan.
Speaker 2: Of his own. Come, let us go down there and
Speaker 2: confuse their language, so that they may not understand one
Speaker 2: another's speech. The words used to unite them under an
Speaker 2: impure cause will become confusing to them. They shall be
Speaker 2: the city of Babel chaos.
Speaker 1: The sky above Babel darkened with the approach of a
Speaker 1: summer storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low and
Speaker 1: ominous growl that seemed to echo the unease growing among
Speaker 1: the people of Chinah. Nimrods atop the incomplete tower, his
Speaker 1: eyes scanning the horizon. The wind whipped his cloak around him,
Speaker 1: but he stood unmoved. A statue of unyielding resolve Elim
Speaker 1: approached the balcony, worry etched on his brow.
Speaker 4: My Lord, there are omens we cannot ignore. The storm
Speaker 4: is but one The oracle speak of divine displeasure. People
Speaker 4: fear that we have angered the Yelloheim.
Speaker 1: Nimrod snarled as he looked out at the incoming storm,
Speaker 1: his face scrunched with a contemptuous scowl.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's threatened by us. He's worried that we will
Speaker 3: become too great for him to control. He is right
Speaker 3: to fear me.
Speaker 1: Nimrod turned to Elim, his gaze piercing.
Speaker 5: The people need to see strength, not fear.
Speaker 1: As Elam departed, Nimrod's eyes returned to the horizon. The
Speaker 1: storm clouds gathered, thick and black, reflecting the turmoil within
Speaker 1: his kingdom. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of
Speaker 1: his vision pressing down on him. He could not afford
Speaker 1: to falter. Now the tower must rise. As the storm
Speaker 1: raged on, Nimrod ascended the tower once more, standing defiant
Speaker 1: against the elements. Lightning flashed amilate in the dark sky,
Speaker 1: and thunder cracked like the voice of an angry god.
Speaker 1: Yet Nimrod stood firm, a solitary figure against the wrath
Speaker 1: of nature. The reins descended like arrows. They beat against
Speaker 1: Nimrod's broad shoulders. His eyes glowed in the lightning, reflecting
Speaker 1: an ancient evil, like the.
Speaker 5: Serpent of old I like God.
Speaker 1: The king shouted downward at some of the remaining workers.
Speaker 1: His voice bellowed like the thunder above.
Speaker 5: Yet, Jabbah, Yeah, there are the able bodied men in
Speaker 5: the city. Today we filled this tower in thefiance of
Speaker 5: the Creator. Today we seize greatness for ourselves.
Speaker 1: Nilmaud laughed at the heavens. When Javon arrived, Nimrod commanded
Speaker 1: for the furnaces to.
Speaker 5: Be lit, more breaks jamand more mortar. We will not
Speaker 5: be dispersed. We will be one city, one utopia, one
Speaker 5: monumental human greatness.
Speaker 1: Javon peered up at Nimrod, then down at the foundation
Speaker 1: of the tower. The reins eroded some of the mortar,
Speaker 1: the winds shifting the scaffolding at the top. Javon's eyes
Speaker 1: widened in alarm. Nimrod was caught in disaster. He had
Speaker 1: to act before it was too late. Turning to Elim shouted.
Speaker 8: Ilam, Nimrod Nasamo nano sa al vasa.
Speaker 1: Ilam stared at Javon with confusion. Perhaps Javon was suffering
Speaker 1: from an illness. He cocked his head to the side
Speaker 1: and responded with concern.
Speaker 4: Yavan Malik Sma Manta saim Alasta Abra Malakaseh.
Speaker 1: The two men stared blankly at each other, unsure what
Speaker 1: they heard. They couldn't understand each other.
Speaker 8: The Anna Almaka wha Laka Nanulazi, Nibra Gabon Man Yavda
Speaker 8: and Saban may Tali.
Speaker 1: Javon couldn't play any more guessing games. Shoving Ilam aside,
Speaker 1: he sprinted up the tower steps. The rein slipped steps
Speaker 1: slid under his feet, but he pressed on, finally reaching Nimrod.
Speaker 1: The king thrashed atop the tower, raising his fists in defiance.
Speaker 1: Javon reached out her hand and.
Speaker 8: Shouted, Nimrod inzel yes, sabab sat and each.
Speaker 5: What's the matter? Jabon has fear stolen your tongue. Come
Speaker 5: and bask in the glory of our creation.
Speaker 1: Nimrod looked down below. Confusion reigned. People shoved each other,
Speaker 1: panics setting in. Nimrod turned to Javon, but before he
Speaker 1: could speak, a brick slipped from beneath his feet. Nimrod
Speaker 1: fell back, catching himself on the scaffolding. It bent to
Speaker 1: his weight, then snapped. Javon stepped forward, but it was
Speaker 1: too late. Nimrod plummeted, his screams muted by the thundering skies.
Speaker 1: Nimrod struck the earth unseen. In the chaos, God had
Speaker 1: confused their language. People trusted only those they could understand,
Speaker 1: faming tribes and leaving Babel to seek peace elsewhere. Thus
Speaker 1: the tribes of the ancient world grew beyond the shadow
Speaker 1: of the utopia. God's command to fill the earth was
Speaker 1: fulfilled through the diversity of language and thought. Nimod's body
Speaker 1: lay beneath the tower's shadow. Slowly the elements claimed the stones,
Speaker 1: and the sunds of time covered its greatness.
Speaker 2: It returned to dust, the.
Speaker 1: Destiny of every man since the Great four.
Speaker 7: The Tower of Babel is one of those stories that
Speaker 7: makes you scratch your head and wonder what on earth
Speaker 7: is going on. A bunch of people decide to build
Speaker 7: a tower that reaches to the heavens. They're unified, speaking
Speaker 7: the same language, working together towards a common goal. And
Speaker 7: then God comes down, witnesses what they're doing, and decides
Speaker 7: to scatter them all over the earth, confusing their language.
Speaker 7: So these once unified people can't understand each other anymore.
Speaker 7: But why would God do this? Is he again progress?
Speaker 8: You see?
Speaker 7: This story isn't about human advancement. No, it's about humanity
Speaker 7: trying to assert its independence from God, to create a
Speaker 7: name for themselves which is apart from him. Does that
Speaker 7: sound familiar? Our ancient tradition, which reads between the lines
Speaker 7: of the Biblical text, gives a shocking picture of what
Speaker 7: the human beings who built the Tower of Babel had
Speaker 7: become while the people were building. One interpretation suggests if
Speaker 7: a man fell down and died, no attention was paid
Speaker 7: to him, but if one brick fell down, they would
Speaker 7: sit and weep and say whoe And to us, when
Speaker 7: will another brick be hauled up in its place? Well?
Speaker 7: Doesn't this sound a lot like our modern society? Don't
Speaker 7: We sometimes think and talk and care more about technology
Speaker 7: than about other people. Don't We sometimes worry more about
Speaker 7: what's wrong with our phone than what's wrong with the
Speaker 7: world or our neighbor and how we can help fix it.
Speaker 7: Here at the fellowship which I am so privileged to lead,
Speaker 7: we try to think about people all the time, what
Speaker 7: their needs are, and how we can help them. Sure,
Speaker 7: We use most advanced technology to help us do that,
Speaker 7: but it's people first technology Afterwards, when our world asked,
Speaker 7: we never stop seeing the individual. We use technology to
Speaker 7: help us help people, not the other way around. When
Speaker 7: our world asks what's more important a person or a brick,
Speaker 7: we need to answer a person every single time. Maybe
Speaker 7: this story isn't just about why God scattered humanity at Babel.
Speaker 7: Maybe the question we should be asking is why do
Speaker 7: we keep trying to build our own powers even today?
Speaker 7: Why do we try to get farther away from God
Speaker 7: instead of closer to him? Why do we try to
Speaker 7: be more independent from God? And what would it look
Speaker 7: like to stop, to humble ourselves and to let God
Speaker 7: God build something far greater in us than through us.
Speaker 7: The lesson of this story is not that we should
Speaker 7: squash progress, no, but that we must address the heart
Speaker 7: behind it. Is progress really progress if it leads us
Speaker 7: away from God? Instead of asking is God against progress?
Speaker 7: Maybe we should ask what kind of progress is reaching
Speaker 7: closer to God? And is better for man? The answer
Speaker 7: to that guides us even today. This brings us to
Speaker 7: a deeper layer of the story, the theology of divine
Speaker 7: judgment and mercy. God's actions at Babyl weren't merely punitive.
Speaker 7: They were also an act of mercy to prevent greater harm.
Speaker 7: By scattering humanity and confusing its language, God was stepping
Speaker 7: in to stop a trajectory that could lead to widespread
Speaker 7: corruption and evil. God didn't want a repeat of the
Speaker 7: flood of Noah, so at Babel he intervened in a
Speaker 7: different way. Rather than allowing humanity to reach that same
Speaker 7: level of corruption in the times of Noah that we saw,
Speaker 7: he dispersed them. He broke up their unity to curb
Speaker 7: their potential for widespread evil. God's judgment here was a
Speaker 7: protective measure. He did it out of love, not out
Speaker 7: of penalizing them. Our ancient teaching explains it this way.
Speaker 7: The people's plan was to build a monument that would
Speaker 7: be seen for many miles around. They wanted to settle
Speaker 7: together and decided to remain within view of the tower
Speaker 7: that they would never stray from it. They decided that
Speaker 7: anyone who strayed too far from this new metropolis would
Speaker 7: have the tower to guide them back. But of course
Speaker 7: this meant that the king of that city would also
Speaker 7: be the king over all the people in the world.
Speaker 7: Because everyone lived in his kingdom. This wasn't God's plan,
Speaker 7: since he created us to settle the world, all of it,
Speaker 7: and to make it a better place, to be a
Speaker 7: light in the darkness, to spread justice and love, to
Speaker 7: spread values. This is something that each of us must
Speaker 7: try to do every day wherever we are, and we
Speaker 7: do it in a way that follows the moral ideas
Speaker 7: of the Bible. This means that there would be no
Speaker 7: king of the world ever except for God. The Towers
Speaker 7: plan was uniformity, but God created all of us, and
Speaker 7: God appreciates humanity's multiplicity, range, and variety. He wants each
Speaker 7: of us to come with our own heart, our own background,
Speaker 7: our own story, our own challenges, our own way of worship.
Speaker 7: But to all come to Him, we have to believe
Speaker 7: that God loves us with all of our faults, as
Speaker 7: long as we come with our authentic, pure hearts, and
Speaker 7: that we're always looking to do better and repent. What
Speaker 7: we see in this story of Babel is god scattering
Speaker 7: of the people as an act of mercy. It's a
Speaker 7: reminder that God's judgment and his mercy often go hand
Speaker 7: in hand. His actions may seem harsh, but they are
Speaker 7: rooted in his desire to protect us. Our God is
Speaker 7: a god who judges, but he is also a god
Speaker 7: who loves, who shows mercy, who prevents disasters of our
Speaker 7: own making by disrupting our prideful pursuits. You see, the
Speaker 7: story of Babel doesn't end in the Hebrew Bible. It
Speaker 7: actually continues on in the Christian Bible. So to speak
Speaker 7: more on this is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Yeah, El, I want to look at something
Speaker 9: that's really quite consequential to our faith, found in Genesis eleven.
Speaker 9: The Tower of Babel, not the strangest sounding thing, the
Speaker 9: tower of confusion or chaos, this tower of babbling. Well,
Speaker 9: you know from the Christian scriptures that our God is
Speaker 9: not the author of confusion. Oh but I'm so grateful
Speaker 9: he will often use confusion against your enemies. How many
Speaker 9: times do we read that those who assailed against the
Speaker 9: chosen ones, assaulted, determined to destroy, would wake up in
Speaker 9: the middle of the night, totally dumbfounded, grab their swords,
Speaker 9: not knowing who they were or where they were, and
Speaker 9: all of a sudden would wipe one another out. This confusion,
Speaker 9: this chaos, Well, what's this story about? I would call
Speaker 9: it the first convening of the United Nations. This globalist
Speaker 9: confederation of peoples determined to penetrate the heavens without our well,
Speaker 9: God building this tower. If you were well, you know
Speaker 9: in your Bible that that lion piece of snake convinced
Speaker 9: Adam and Eve that if they would partake of that
Speaker 9: tree that fruit, well, they would become like God. All
Speaker 9: problem was they were already created in the image of God,
Speaker 9: in his likeness. And now we've got these peoples who
Speaker 9: were determined to bypass the sovereignty of our One God,
Speaker 9: his supremacy, and to somehow make their own name great,
Speaker 9: according to verse four, make their own name great, not God's.
Speaker 9: It's interesting to me when I just skip real quick
Speaker 9: here in my Bible, at chapter twelve, God has a
Speaker 9: conversation not with those seventy nations, but with one man
Speaker 9: and says, through you, all the nations of the world
Speaker 9: will be blessed, and I God will make your name great. Well,
Speaker 9: they tried to erect this thing, and God saw what
Speaker 9: was happening. He was offended by their corporate pride, but
Speaker 9: was impressed by their unity and realized new and said
Speaker 9: so that nothing would be withheld from them by the
Speaker 9: power of their unity and their words of agreement, And
Speaker 9: so he cast them into confusion, into chaos. He canceled
Speaker 9: their common language so they couldn't understand one another anymore
Speaker 9: and conspire against God. We get to chapter twelve, and
Speaker 9: Gods determined to impregnate the earth, where they person a
Speaker 9: people through whom all timately Mosheer Messiah to Christians, Christ
Speaker 9: would come and for Christians through whom the Church would
Speaker 9: be birthed and the Kingdom of God manifest. Can I
Speaker 9: pray with you right now, Almighty God, I thank you
Speaker 9: for the people who are listening. All of us are
Speaker 9: witnesses to schemes and plans, strategies of the enemy to confuse, bewildered,
Speaker 9: to deceive. But I'm just declaring by God that this
Speaker 9: profound discernment will be in your people and they'll know
Speaker 9: exactly what the enemy's doing and even more what you
Speaker 9: plan for us. And for all this we give you praise.
Speaker 7: With the story of Babel and Mind, let's turn inward
Speaker 7: and ask a deep introspective question. How do we see
Speaker 7: God's hand of mercy in situations that initially seem like
Speaker 7: judgment or punishment? In those moments when life feels like
Speaker 7: it's falling apart, when our plans are disrupted, when our
Speaker 7: powers come crashing down. Could it be that God is
Speaker 7: at work showing us mercy even in the midst of
Speaker 7: what feels like judgment. Think about the times when you
Speaker 7: face set backs, disappointments, or even suffering. Could it be that,
Speaker 7: like Babbel, God has intervened to prevent greater harm. Have
Speaker 7: there been moments in your own life where God's intervention,
Speaker 7: though difficult to understand at the time, was ultimately for
Speaker 7: your own good. Maybe it was a job that didn't
Speaker 7: work out, only to lead to a better opportunity. Maybe
Speaker 7: it was a relationship that ended, making way for a
Speaker 7: deep or healthier connection. Maybe it was a plan that
Speaker 7: fell apart only to redirect you to a path that
Speaker 7: brought you closer to him. Reflect on those moments. Sometimes
Speaker 7: it's revealed and sometimes it's hidden. But when it's revealed,
Speaker 7: we can see God's mercy in it. We can recognize
Speaker 7: as hand is at work even when it feels like
Speaker 7: he is judging. We have to trust in God when
Speaker 7: it's easy, when it's hard, when we see the clarity,
Speaker 7: and when we don't understand. So today let's ask ourselves,
Speaker 7: each of us, where have I seen God's mercy in disguise? Remember,
Speaker 7: the God who scattered the people at Babel is the
Speaker 7: same God who leads us today, and he is guiding
Speaker 7: you towards His better plans, even if you can't see
Speaker 7: it right now. You need to trust in God that
Speaker 7: He's got you. He knows the plans and they are good.
Speaker 7: So hold on, keep the faith and know that God
Speaker 7: has a plan for each of us, a plan for
Speaker 7: something even better. As you think and pray and what
Speaker 7: God's better plan is for you, I leave you with
Speaker 7: the priestly blessing from number six, a blessing my own abbah,
Speaker 7: my own father would share with me and my sisters
Speaker 7: and bless on us. And I continue to cherish it
Speaker 7: to this day. Ivarra Hashem vish morehra yeah er Hashem
Speaker 7: panave lera ye shampannave le Shalon. May the Lord bless
Speaker 7: you and keep you. May the Lord make his face
Speaker 7: shine upon you, May the Lord be gracious to you,
Speaker 7: and may the Lord turn his face towards you and
Speaker 7: give you shaloon. Give you peace with blessings from the
Speaker 7: Holy Land. This is your el Exstein and you are
Speaker 7: listening to the Chosen People.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with isle Exstein
Speaker 1: add 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 Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of the Chosen People with yil Exstein, 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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