# 65 - Child of the Nile - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, a mother's faith and courage set her son adrift on the Nile, trusting God to protect him. Discover the miraculous journey of Moses, the child drawn from the waters, and how God’s providence turns vulnerability into deliverance.
Episode 65 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Exodus.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
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Show Notes:
(02:53) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:44) Child of the Nile - Cinematic Retelling
(23:29) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00:00
Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. The cruel pharaoh who enslaved them.
00:00:06
Speaker 1: Rameses the First had passed. The Israelite scars told the
00:00:11
Speaker 1: tale of his legacy, a legacy of brutality, conquest, and oppression.
00:00:17
Speaker 1: His son SETI took his place. Both drank from the
00:00:23
Speaker 1: same well of hatred and pride as their forebears.
00:00:26
Speaker 2: These Hebrews are like rats breeding in the shadows. They
00:00:33
Speaker 2: already outnumbered, as soldiers who must caught the heroes off
00:00:40
Speaker 2: before they become unmanageable.
00:00:45
Speaker 1: Shifra and Poor kept their heads low and their gaze
00:00:48
Speaker 1: fixed on the door. The tension in the room was
00:00:51
Speaker 1: thick as they awaited the pharaoh's words.
00:00:54
Speaker 3: When you are on the birth stall and you see
00:01:00
Speaker 3: a son born to a Hebrew woman, you shall kill
00:01:06
Speaker 3: him without.
00:01:08
Speaker 2: A second thought. If it is a daughter, then the
00:01:12
Speaker 2: baby shall live. This is the decree of Pharaoh, the
00:01:18
Speaker 2: image of raw, the Lord of the Nile, the Morning
00:01:25
Speaker 2: and the evening Star.
00:01:29
Speaker 4: We tell him that Hebrew women are stronger than the
00:01:33
Speaker 4: Egyptians and are giving birth before we have a chance
00:01:36
Speaker 4: to attend them.
00:01:37
Speaker 5: It's only a half life.
00:01:40
Speaker 1: The Hebrews continue to multiply and thrive. The whips of
00:01:45
Speaker 1: Pharaoh wouldn't remove their hope. His cruel decrees wouldn't quell
00:01:49
Speaker 1: their love. The children lived and grew strong.
00:01:55
Speaker 6: Gushan when weep with the whales of mothers, as I
00:02:00
Speaker 6: tell their sons from their breasts, take every sun under
00:02:06
Speaker 6: the age of two and cast them into denial.
00:02:11
Speaker 7: They're marching towards Goshen. We have to beat them there
00:02:14
Speaker 7: and warn the others.
00:02:16
Speaker 1: She for a turn toward the battalion of soldiers. She
00:02:19
Speaker 1: steadied her breath and marched toward them. She halted their
00:02:23
Speaker 1: steps and stretched her arms out. She had no plans
00:02:27
Speaker 1: to fight. She only needed to buy more time.
00:02:32
Speaker 3: Just one.
00:02:37
Speaker 1: She for a fell into the dust. The soldiers trembled
00:02:41
Speaker 1: over her body. On the way to Goshen, Poor was
00:02:45
Speaker 1: far ahead, desperate to warm the women so the children
00:02:49
Speaker 1: could be saved.
00:02:55
Speaker 5: Do you ever wonder how hope can emerge from the
00:02:58
Speaker 5: shadows of diss Imagine a world where mother's love defies
00:03:04
Speaker 5: the decrees of a tyrant, where the cries of an
00:03:07
Speaker 5: infant echo through the halls of history and shift the
00:03:10
Speaker 5: course of a nation. As we prepared a journey into
00:03:13
Speaker 5: the heart of the Exodus narrative let's open our minds
00:03:16
Speaker 5: to the profound questions. This ancient tale asks, how does
00:03:23
Speaker 5: faith inspire courage even in the face of impossible odds?
00:03:27
Speaker 5: What lengths will a parent go to protect their child?
00:03:32
Speaker 5: And can the small, seemingly insignificant decisions of an ordinary
00:03:38
Speaker 5: person actually shape the destiny of an entire people.
00:03:46
Speaker 1: PUA's legs burned with every step as she navigated the
00:03:51
Speaker 1: treacherous path leading to Goshen, the jagged rocks beneath her
00:03:55
Speaker 1: sandals biting into her souls. The weight of her mission
00:04:00
Speaker 1: pressed down upon her, heavier than the scorching sun overhead.
00:04:05
Speaker 1: She had to reach the women before the first wave
00:04:08
Speaker 1: of soldiers descended upon them. Her breaths came in labored gasps,
00:04:13
Speaker 1: her legs quivering with exhaustion, but still she pressed on.
00:04:18
Speaker 1: When the familiar gates of Goshen loomed before her, she
00:04:22
Speaker 1: slid into the city, her voice roar and desperate as
00:04:26
Speaker 1: she shouted her warning to the wind, hid.
00:04:31
Speaker 7: Hide your children, quickly, hide the boys.
00:04:35
Speaker 2: Who what's happening?
00:04:37
Speaker 7: Pair h commanded his menure from every baby boy into
00:04:41
Speaker 7: the nile.
00:04:42
Speaker 2: They're on their way.
00:04:44
Speaker 1: Without waiting for a response, she burst into the nearest home,
00:04:48
Speaker 1: the house of Amram, a man of the tribe of Levi.
00:04:52
Speaker 1: She found Amram and his wife Jokobed, amidst their daily routines,
00:04:57
Speaker 1: unaware of the storm that was about to break over.
00:04:59
Speaker 1: There heads a.
00:05:01
Speaker 7: Rum, yokobed, Hide the baby hiding?
00:05:05
Speaker 8: Now?
00:05:06
Speaker 4: Pooh, what's going on? Take your son and hide now.
00:05:12
Speaker 7: Pharaoh's men are coming.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: They'll have to get through me.
00:05:15
Speaker 7: Don't be a fool a rum. If you confront them,
00:05:19
Speaker 7: they'll know you're hiding something. Let yukobed, hide. You stay
00:05:23
Speaker 7: here with Miriam and Aaron and act normal.
00:05:27
Speaker 3: Hu.
00:05:28
Speaker 7: I have to warn the other said, you're the first
00:05:31
Speaker 7: home i've come to. I don't have much time.
00:05:34
Speaker 1: Jokobed needed no further urging. She slipped out the back
00:05:38
Speaker 1: door with her baby, her hands trembling as she clutched
00:05:41
Speaker 1: the precious bundle to her chest. Inside, Amram gathered his
00:05:45
Speaker 1: older children, Miriam and Aaron, and pulled them in close.
00:05:49
Speaker 1: His eyes were dark with worry. Stay near me, children,
00:05:53
Speaker 1: and don't say a word. Poora stepped out into the
00:05:57
Speaker 1: street once more, her voice rising in a frat to
00:06:00
Speaker 1: cry that echoed off the mud brick walls. Soon the
00:06:04
Speaker 1: entire city of Goshen was alive with chaos. Mothers and
00:06:07
Speaker 1: fathers scrambled to hide their sons, but the sound of
00:06:11
Speaker 1: hooves and the rhythmic clatter of armor grew ever nearer,
00:06:15
Speaker 1: an ominous herald of the doom that approached. When Pharaoh's
00:06:19
Speaker 1: men arrived, they did so with the violence of a
00:06:22
Speaker 1: summer storm. The streets that had buzzed with life now
00:06:26
Speaker 1: ran with the screams of mothers as soldiers tore their
00:06:30
Speaker 1: children from their arms. Men who dared to resist were
00:06:34
Speaker 1: cut down without mercy, their blood mingling with the dust
00:06:38
Speaker 1: at the soldiers feet.
00:06:39
Speaker 3: If you run, you die.
00:06:41
Speaker 6: If you fight, your lives and families will die.
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Speaker 3: This is the will of Pharaoh.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: Those who resisted were met with fire. Homes were reduced
00:06:55
Speaker 1: to ashes. The air became thick with the smell of
00:06:58
Speaker 1: smoke and the cries of the day eye. Yet, amidst
00:07:01
Speaker 1: the chaos, hidden in the shadow the sesses of the
00:07:04
Speaker 1: river bank, his joker bed. Her heart pounded in her
00:07:08
Speaker 1: chest as she waded into the reeds, the water cool
00:07:12
Speaker 1: and biting against her skin. She held her infant son close,
00:07:17
Speaker 1: pressing his small face against her chest to muffle his
00:07:21
Speaker 1: cries as she sank deeper into the water, Her breath
00:07:25
Speaker 1: hitched with every step, until only her head and the
00:07:29
Speaker 1: babies were above the surface.
00:07:32
Speaker 7: Please stop, hush, my child. I will protect you.
00:07:35
Speaker 3: I will.
00:07:37
Speaker 1: But then she heard it, the unmistakable sound of footsteps
00:07:42
Speaker 1: crunching through the reeds. Her soldier, with torch and sword
00:07:46
Speaker 1: in hand, drew near. Through the dense screen of reeds,
00:07:51
Speaker 1: she could see his silhouette, his figure dark and menacing
00:07:55
Speaker 1: against the twilight. She held her breath, forcing herself to
00:07:59
Speaker 1: remain still, though every muscle in her body screamed with
00:08:03
Speaker 1: the effort. The water around her felt like ice, but
00:08:07
Speaker 1: she dared not shiver. The soldier moved closer, the glow
00:08:11
Speaker 1: of his torch casting eerie shadows on the water. He
00:08:16
Speaker 1: was near enough for her to reach out and touch,
00:08:18
Speaker 1: Yet somehow he did not see her her baby, as
00:08:23
Speaker 1: if sensing the danger, remained silent, as still as death.
00:08:28
Speaker 1: For a long moment, the soldier lingered, his gaze sweeping
00:08:32
Speaker 1: over the river bank. Then with a grunt, he turned
00:08:36
Speaker 1: and left. Jokobed remained submerged, her heart pounding in her
00:08:42
Speaker 1: ears as the distant screams of her people filled the night.
00:08:46
Speaker 1: She waited, scarcely, daring to breathe, until the sounds of
00:08:51
Speaker 1: the soldiers had faded into the distance, leaving only the
00:08:54
Speaker 1: crackling of embers and the soft whimpering of mothers who
00:08:58
Speaker 1: had lost everything. Slowly, Jokobed emerged from the water, her
00:09:06
Speaker 1: legs numb and unsteady. Beneath her, the baby in her
00:09:10
Speaker 1: arms was cold and still, but alive. She pressed him close,
00:09:15
Speaker 1: his small body warming against her own, and began the long,
00:09:19
Speaker 1: painful journey back up the hill to her hovel. She
00:09:23
Speaker 1: crawled through the window at the back of the house,
00:09:25
Speaker 1: where Amram and the children waited, their faces etched with fear.
00:09:30
Speaker 8: Jocobed, I thought they had killed you. Totally safe for
00:09:37
Speaker 8: a now, mir Please take your brother Arin, please boil
00:09:42
Speaker 8: some water.
00:09:43
Speaker 1: Jokobed placed the baby into Miriam's waiting arms, her own
00:09:48
Speaker 1: hands shaking uncontrollably. Amram wrapped a blanket around her. Aaron
00:09:54
Speaker 1: hurriedly brought a cup of hot water to his mother,
00:09:57
Speaker 1: along with a few warm stones wrapped in cl He
00:10:01
Speaker 1: pressed them gently against Tove's tiny chest, his young face
00:10:05
Speaker 1: set with grim determination. Miriam and Aaron held the baby close,
00:10:11
Speaker 1: the weight of their responsibility heavy on their small shoulders.
00:10:15
Speaker 1: They both knew this might be the last time they
00:10:18
Speaker 1: saw their little brother. Amram's voice was low, almost a growl,
00:10:24
Speaker 1: as he voiced the fear that gnawed at him.
00:10:27
Speaker 4: What do we do when they returned? We were hidden
00:10:30
Speaker 4: by the reeds. If they return, I can slip into
00:10:33
Speaker 4: the banks again.
00:10:34
Speaker 5: The baby is lucky to still be breathing after being
00:10:36
Speaker 5: in the water that long.
00:10:38
Speaker 4: We can make a basket to protect him from the water.
00:10:41
Speaker 4: When they return, I can slip in there with him.
00:10:44
Speaker 3: I'm not sure what other choice we have.
00:10:46
Speaker 1: We can't take him beyond the borders, but taskmasters will notice.
00:10:50
Speaker 1: Nor can we hide him in here.
00:10:53
Speaker 4: Miriam, bring me some bulrushes from the shore. Aaron, bring
00:10:56
Speaker 4: me pitch from the building sites. Make sure no one's see.
00:11:00
Speaker 4: Do you understand?
00:11:02
Speaker 1: The children nodded and dashed off into the night. Jokobed
00:11:06
Speaker 1: knew they had little time. The men would return with
00:11:09
Speaker 1: the dawn, and they had to be ready when the
00:11:12
Speaker 1: children returned. The family woke together in silence, weaving the
00:11:17
Speaker 1: basket with trembling hands. They filled the gaps with pitch
00:11:21
Speaker 1: and bitumen, sealing it against the water. It was their
00:11:25
Speaker 1: last hope their ark. As the night deepened, Jakobed cradled
00:11:31
Speaker 1: the baby in her arms, his tiny heartbeat of fragile
00:11:36
Speaker 1: rhythm against her own. She whispered to him, her voice
00:11:40
Speaker 1: tender despite the fear that choked her, This.
00:11:44
Speaker 7: Is your vessel of salvation, your ark.
00:11:47
Speaker 1: Tears slipped down her cheeks as she held him close,
00:11:51
Speaker 1: her heart breaking with the knowledge that she might soon
00:11:54
Speaker 1: have to let him go. She did not sleep that night,
00:11:59
Speaker 1: her ears a june to every sound, every whisper of
00:12:02
Speaker 1: the wind. When the night grew cold, Amram held her,
00:12:07
Speaker 1: his arms wrapped around her and the baby, while Aaron
00:12:10
Speaker 1: and Miriam curled up beside them on the mat. For
00:12:13
Speaker 1: a brief, fleeting moment, they were a family, But Jokobed
00:12:19
Speaker 1: knew it would not last. Pharaoh's wrath was relentless, and
00:12:24
Speaker 1: it would not be long before it reached them. Dawn broke,
00:12:30
Speaker 1: but the light was dim and gray, filtered through the
00:12:34
Speaker 1: ash and dust that hung heavy in the air. Jokobed
00:12:38
Speaker 1: had finally drifted into a restless sleep when the sound
00:12:42
Speaker 1: of a woman's shriek shattered the morning stillness. She woke
00:12:46
Speaker 1: with a start, clutching toes to her chest. Outside, the
00:12:50
Speaker 1: scream was abruptly silenced, the sickening sound of a blade
00:12:54
Speaker 1: slicing through flesh following in its wake, the familiar, dreaded
00:12:59
Speaker 1: sound of marching feet echoed through the streets.
00:13:02
Speaker 4: Wake up, everyone, wake up, they're back. Aaron reinforced the
00:13:06
Speaker 4: doors quickly.
00:13:08
Speaker 6: Miriam, grab the basket and follow your mother to the shore.
00:13:11
Speaker 1: Aaron's small legs dashed to the door. He shimmered a
00:13:15
Speaker 1: few pieces of wood near the hinges and slid their
00:13:18
Speaker 1: tools at the doorstep. Jokobed swaddled Tove and wrapped into
00:13:23
Speaker 1: her chest. She pointed to the basket and shouted to Miriam.
00:13:27
Speaker 4: Miriam grabbed that basket and follow me.
00:13:30
Speaker 1: Miriam held the basket close and rushed after her mother
00:13:33
Speaker 1: out the back and toward the coast. Just as they
00:13:36
Speaker 1: had disappeared from sight, the doors burst open and guard
00:13:40
Speaker 1: stormed through.
00:13:42
Speaker 2: Where's the baby? We heard you've been hiding a boy
00:13:45
Speaker 2: from Pharaoh.
00:13:47
Speaker 1: Amram stepped forward, pulling Aaron close.
00:13:50
Speaker 3: This is my only son.
00:13:52
Speaker 4: He is well above the age of execution. My only
00:13:55
Speaker 4: other child is my daughter, who.
00:13:57
Speaker 3: Was with her mother visiting her sister.
00:14:00
Speaker 1: The general narrowed his eyes the point of his spear,
00:14:04
Speaker 1: pressing against Amram's throat until a thin line of blood
00:14:08
Speaker 1: trickled down his chest.
00:14:10
Speaker 2: Search them for any signs of a baby.
00:14:13
Speaker 1: The soldiers tore through the hovel, overturning every piece of
00:14:17
Speaker 1: furniture that found. They left as quickly as they had come,
00:14:23
Speaker 1: moving on to the next home.
00:14:27
Speaker 4: Hurry Miriam quickly, now.
00:14:28
Speaker 1: Dear Jokobed and Miriam hurried to the shore, their feet
00:14:33
Speaker 1: slipping on the wet reeds. The baby was nestled in
00:14:36
Speaker 1: the basket, his tiny face serene despite the danger that
00:14:41
Speaker 1: surrounded him. Jokobed's hands trembled as she placed the basket
00:14:45
Speaker 1: into the water, her heart breaking with each breath.
00:14:51
Speaker 7: I sweep boy, my child.
00:14:54
Speaker 4: I pray that our God will protect you. I fear
00:14:58
Speaker 4: I can't anymore. I have to believe there's something greater
00:15:02
Speaker 4: for you, my son.
00:15:03
Speaker 1: I have to believe. The sound of soldiers drawing closer
00:15:08
Speaker 1: urged her on. She looked out over the river, the
00:15:12
Speaker 1: morning breeze lifting her hair, and sent the basket a drift.
00:15:17
Speaker 1: The water carried it away, its precious cargo cradled within.
00:15:23
Speaker 1: She turned to Miriam, her voice cracking with emotion.
00:15:28
Speaker 4: Follow him down the shore, Miriam ollow him and see
00:15:31
Speaker 4: what comes of him.
00:15:33
Speaker 1: Miriam moved with quick feet along the shores of the nile,
00:15:37
Speaker 1: trudging through waste deep marshes and scurrying atop jagged shore stones.
00:15:42
Speaker 1: She kept her gaze fixed on the basket as it
00:15:45
Speaker 1: bounced up and down with the water's wakes. In the distance,
00:15:50
Speaker 1: she saw crocs sunbathing on the shores opposite her, past them,
00:15:55
Speaker 1: fishermen with large nets and spears. The nile was full
00:15:59
Speaker 1: of perils, yet the baby passed through all of them.
00:16:03
Speaker 1: The basket was a vessel of salvation. Although chaos raged
00:16:08
Speaker 1: around him, the baby was safe inside. Miriam watched the
00:16:13
Speaker 1: basket flow into the banks near Pharaoh's palace, where a
00:16:17
Speaker 1: group of women were bathing in the morning sun. Miriam
00:16:21
Speaker 1: remained low, watching the basket gently glide over the water,
00:16:25
Speaker 1: harboring just within reach of the women. One stood among
00:16:30
Speaker 1: them with servants at attention. Her silk bathing gown was
00:16:34
Speaker 1: adorned with gold fringed lace and purple trim. She wore
00:16:38
Speaker 1: an amulet around her neck, the signet of Pharaoh. Miriam's
00:16:43
Speaker 1: eyes widened. Her baby brother had just drifted into the
00:16:47
Speaker 1: arms of the royal family. Certainly she would report him
00:16:51
Speaker 1: to Pharaoh. At once, Miriam's bottom lip quivered. She thought
00:16:56
Speaker 1: it would have been more merciful if he had been
00:16:58
Speaker 1: taken by the crocs. Princess Bitcher ran the water through
00:17:04
Speaker 1: her fingers and smiled. She turned her cheek to the
00:17:08
Speaker 1: mild morning sun, welcoming its warmth against the chill of
00:17:12
Speaker 1: the morning. She breathed in deeply and sighed in satisfaction.
00:17:17
Speaker 7: The water is best in the morning, wouldn't you say.
00:17:20
Speaker 3: Yes, my lady, crisp and refreshing.
00:17:24
Speaker 7: Would you fetch me that cloth and some oil? I
00:17:26
Speaker 7: shall do my hair to day.
00:17:27
Speaker 1: Bitcher drew another breath and submerged herself in the water.
00:17:32
Speaker 1: She emerged and drew her hair back, laughing as the
00:17:36
Speaker 1: droplets twinkled in the morning light. Her laughter was cut
00:17:40
Speaker 1: by the high pitched cries of a baby in the distance.
00:17:43
Speaker 7: Do you hear that.
00:17:44
Speaker 8: Cling, Yes, my lady, book, it seems to be coming
00:17:49
Speaker 8: from over there.
00:17:50
Speaker 1: Gently flowing down stream toward them was a basket woven
00:17:55
Speaker 1: from bulrushes.
00:17:56
Speaker 7: It's a child.
00:17:57
Speaker 1: Princess Bitcher waded toward the bar basket and brought it
00:18:01
Speaker 1: back to the steps. She looked inside to see a
00:18:04
Speaker 1: crying baby, face damp, and called, from his long journey
00:18:09
Speaker 1: down the nisle, what is a child doing here on
00:18:11
Speaker 1: the nile? Has someone lost him?
00:18:14
Speaker 7: No, look at these blankets. This child is a Hebrew.
00:18:20
Speaker 7: Whoever placed her in this basket was trying to spare
00:18:23
Speaker 7: him from my father.
00:18:24
Speaker 1: I shall alert the guards immediately. You will do no
00:18:27
Speaker 1: such thing, bitch's voice was commanding the maternal She brought
00:18:31
Speaker 1: the baby in close and looked him in the eyes.
00:18:34
Speaker 1: She hushed him to sleep and cradled him close in
00:18:37
Speaker 1: her arms. She looked forward, scanning the distance for any
00:18:41
Speaker 1: sign of where the baby came from. She looked down
00:18:44
Speaker 1: again and placed a finger on the child's nose. He
00:18:48
Speaker 1: cooled at her touch, and a wave of euphoria came
00:18:52
Speaker 1: over her.
00:18:53
Speaker 7: He should have perished from Gushan to hear, but he didn't.
00:18:57
Speaker 7: He must be a scene from happy himself. Why else
00:19:00
Speaker 7: would he drift right here to me? Then you plan
00:19:03
Speaker 7: to keep him, my lady, Yes, he will be mine,
00:19:08
Speaker 7: a child from the nile. He will bless my father's dynasty.
00:19:13
Speaker 3: How so.
00:19:15
Speaker 7: All the newborn sons in Goshen have been thrown into
00:19:18
Speaker 7: the nile, Yet this boy remained. He is a gift,
00:19:23
Speaker 7: a symbol of victory.
00:19:25
Speaker 1: What will you name him?
00:19:27
Speaker 7: His name shall be Moses, because I drew him out
00:19:30
Speaker 7: of the water.
00:19:31
Speaker 9: A Hebrew name, why not an Egyptian one.
00:19:34
Speaker 7: He isn't high born, but he is mine. Now it
00:19:40
Speaker 7: is time to fetch some one who can nurse him.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: The princess turned swiftly to see a little girl stumbling
00:19:46
Speaker 1: out of the reeds and into the water. The girl
00:19:49
Speaker 1: sprang up and gasped. Some of the guards jumped to action,
00:19:53
Speaker 1: pointing their spears directly at Miriam. The girl shivered in
00:19:57
Speaker 1: place with her hands held high.
00:19:59
Speaker 7: Where are you spying on me? Slave, No, my lady,
00:20:02
Speaker 7: not at all.
00:20:02
Speaker 4: I was a I.
00:20:04
Speaker 7: Spit it out, girl, Do you know this child?
00:20:07
Speaker 1: Miriam's eyes widened with panic. She quickly regained control of
00:20:12
Speaker 1: herself and came up with a lie.
00:20:14
Speaker 9: I was gathering bulrushes for the maidens down the way
00:20:18
Speaker 9: when I heard the baby's cries. I followed the basket
00:20:21
Speaker 9: until I reached you, My lady, I didn't mean to spy.
00:20:25
Speaker 9: I just wanted to make sure this baby was all right.
00:20:28
Speaker 7: Yet you've trespassed. In the process, guards remove her.
00:20:32
Speaker 9: Wait, I heard you say you needed someone to nurse
00:20:35
Speaker 9: the child. I know someone who could. She's quite respectful you.
00:20:39
Speaker 9: You wouldn't have to worry about her saying anything.
00:20:42
Speaker 7: Very well, bring her to me at once. My guards will.
00:20:45
Speaker 3: Go with you.
00:20:46
Speaker 1: Miriam held back her smile and bowed her head. She
00:20:50
Speaker 1: led the guards back to her home, where Jokobed was
00:20:54
Speaker 1: soaking the floor with her tears. Later, in the echoed
00:20:59
Speaker 1: halls of Princess Bitcha's palace, Jocobed walked with her head bowed,
00:21:05
Speaker 1: her hands clasped tightly to still their trembling. When they
00:21:09
Speaker 1: reached the courtyard, she saw Tove swaddled in silk and
00:21:14
Speaker 1: cradled in the princess's arms. It took all her strength
00:21:18
Speaker 1: not to rush forward and claim him as her own,
00:21:21
Speaker 1: but she held herself back, forcing herself to remain calm
00:21:26
Speaker 1: and composed. As the princess turned her gaze upon her.
00:21:29
Speaker 7: The girl tells me you can nurse my child until
00:21:32
Speaker 7: he is weaned.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: Jocobed winced at the words the princess had already claimed
00:21:37
Speaker 1: Tove as hers.
00:21:38
Speaker 4: Yes, my lady, I am able to nurse the child.
00:21:42
Speaker 4: Mine was taken from me, but my milk still flows.
00:21:47
Speaker 1: Bitcher nodded, her expression unreadable.
00:21:50
Speaker 7: Very well, you shall take my son. I will pay
00:21:54
Speaker 7: you a fair wage and house you nearby so he
00:21:56
Speaker 7: doesn't sleep in squalor. You will bring him back to
00:21:59
Speaker 7: me the moment he is weaned, and no later.
00:22:02
Speaker 4: Am I clear, crystal clear, my lady.
00:22:06
Speaker 7: My maid servants will be back and forth to attend
00:22:08
Speaker 7: to the child. They will report back to me with
00:22:11
Speaker 7: how the baby's growing and if he's taken care of.
00:22:13
Speaker 1: Jocobed nodded, her heart aching as Bitcha smiled down at
00:22:18
Speaker 1: the baby, then handed him to the maid servant, who
00:22:21
Speaker 1: placed him gently in Jocobed's arms. The moment the baby
00:22:25
Speaker 1: felt her warmth, he began to squirm, seeking the comfort
00:22:30
Speaker 1: only a mother could provide. Jocobed bowed deeply, holding her
00:22:35
Speaker 1: son close as she was escorted to her new quarters.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: When Moses was weaned, he was returned to Princess Bitcha
00:22:43
Speaker 1: and raised as a prince of Egypt. He grew up
00:22:47
Speaker 1: alongside Rameses, the son of Pharaoh Setti, the future ruler
00:22:51
Speaker 1: of the land. But despite the opulence of the palace,
00:22:56
Speaker 1: a shadow hung over Moses, a lingering scent of the
00:23:00
Speaker 1: Hebrews that clung to him like a second skin. While
00:23:04
Speaker 1: Rameses embodied the glory of ra, Moses remained a figure
00:23:09
Speaker 1: suspended between two worlds. He was neither fully Egyptian nor
00:23:14
Speaker 1: entirely Hebrew, neither slave nor free. He was Moses, the
00:23:21
Speaker 1: stray Hebrew pup raised in the heart of Pharaoh's court.
00:23:31
Speaker 5: Wow, what an incredible story to think the courage it
00:23:36
Speaker 5: took to place her infant son in that basket, to
00:23:38
Speaker 5: trust the waters of the Nile more than the safety
00:23:41
Speaker 5: of her arms. As a mother, I can say that
00:23:46
Speaker 5: Moses's mother has the kind of faith that moves mountains.
00:23:51
Speaker 5: I am in awe of how God weaves our smallest
00:23:54
Speaker 5: ACKs of faith into his eternal plan. The Jewish say
00:24:00
Speaker 5: tell an amazing story about Moses's birth. After Pharaoh decreed
00:24:04
Speaker 5: that all Hebrew male babies would be put to death,
00:24:07
Speaker 5: Amram and Johreved decided to separate and suggested that all
00:24:11
Speaker 5: Hebrew couples do the same. After all, what could be
00:24:14
Speaker 5: the point of marriage if every male child was to
00:24:17
Speaker 5: be killed? How could they bring babies into this world
00:24:22
Speaker 5: just to have them murdered. We don't want to bring
00:24:25
Speaker 5: children in the world to suffer. There was a decree
00:24:29
Speaker 5: that all male Hebrew babies would be killed. Well, their
00:24:33
Speaker 5: daughter Miriam, who was only six years old, actually rebuked them.
00:24:38
Speaker 5: She said, your decree is worse than Pharaoh's. He is
00:24:41
Speaker 5: only killing the male babies. You are preventing both male
00:24:45
Speaker 5: and female babies from being born. Amram and Johrevid took
00:24:51
Speaker 5: Miriam's words to heart. They reunited, and Moses was born.
00:24:57
Speaker 5: This is a lesson of faith which was taught to
00:25:02
Speaker 5: adults by a young girl. In this faith, this pure
00:25:07
Speaker 5: childlike faith, that has kept it's this faith, this pure
00:25:11
Speaker 5: childlike faith, that has kept the Chosen people alive through
00:25:15
Speaker 5: all of our trials and tribulations. And it's also a
00:25:18
Speaker 5: lesson to all of us about how important our faith
00:25:21
Speaker 5: in God is, even when, especially when things seem very dark.
00:25:28
Speaker 5: This talk of a child's faith reminds me of another
00:25:31
Speaker 5: Jewish teaching. What about Moses's name? I'd like to share
00:25:35
Speaker 5: some fascinating insights that I gained while reading the writings
00:25:39
Speaker 5: of Rabbi Jonathan Sachs. After he was born, Moses was
00:25:43
Speaker 5: placed in a basket, He was set afloat on the Nile,
00:25:45
Speaker 5: and then he was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter. She adopted
00:25:49
Speaker 5: him and named him Mosha that's Moses and Hebrew, explaining,
00:25:54
Speaker 5: I have drawn him Mashitiyahu, which is the root of
00:26:00
Speaker 5: Moses from the water. This seems straightforward, that she drew
00:26:06
Speaker 5: him from the water Moshe that that's what it means.
00:26:11
Speaker 5: But it makes sense and seems straightforward until you really
00:26:14
Speaker 5: start to think about it. Not only did Pharaoh's daughter
00:26:18
Speaker 5: defy her father's royal decree to kill every male Hebrew child,
00:26:22
Speaker 5: but then she gave the Hebrew boy that she saved
00:26:26
Speaker 5: a distinctly Hebrew name. Here's where it gets fascinating. Moses,
00:26:33
Speaker 5: in the form Mosa or missus or Messes is an
00:26:39
Speaker 5: Egyptian word. It appears in the names of several pharaohs,
00:26:43
Speaker 5: including thought most and notable Ramses himself. The word simply
00:26:48
Speaker 5: means child. So imagine this. Years later, two figures, Moses
00:26:56
Speaker 5: and Ramses stand in stark opposition. Their names are not
00:27:01
Speaker 5: just names, they're actually declaration. Ramses means child of the
00:27:08
Speaker 5: Sun god Rah. This man who seems to himself as divine,
00:27:13
Speaker 5: who builds a temple to proclaim his godliness, stands face
00:27:17
Speaker 5: to face with Moses. However, Moses is just a child,
00:27:25
Speaker 5: no grand identity, no divine claim. It's not the supreme ruler.
00:27:31
Speaker 5: Moses's name just means child. It just means that he
00:27:35
Speaker 5: was drawn from the water, and in Egyptian it just
00:27:39
Speaker 5: means child. And so what we learned from this story, Ramses,
00:27:46
Speaker 5: the child of the Sun, God ra versus, Moses just
00:27:50
Speaker 5: a child. That it's not the supreme ruler who mirrors God,
00:27:54
Speaker 5: but every person, man, woman, and child. As God says
00:28:01
Speaker 5: to Moses about Israel, my child, my first born, the
00:28:06
Speaker 5: greatest ruler, self proclaimed to be a God, Ramses actually
00:28:11
Speaker 5: stands lower than any child who serves God with a
00:28:15
Speaker 5: pure heart. Moses was a mere child, but he saved
00:28:21
Speaker 5: the Israelites and created a story that is still ingrained
00:28:25
Speaker 5: in all of us today. This story, my friends, is
00:28:29
Speaker 5: not about one singular hero, Moses. It's saying that each
00:28:34
Speaker 5: and every one of us is created in the image
00:28:36
Speaker 5: of God. Each one of us is one of the
00:28:39
Speaker 5: chosen people, created for such a time as this. Each
00:28:43
Speaker 5: one of us is a child, a child of God,
00:28:47
Speaker 5: and with that we can do anything. Let that sink
00:28:52
Speaker 5: in every person, every child holds a divine spark of Godliness.
00:28:59
Speaker 5: This is what's but the Bible apart from other ancient
00:29:02
Speaker 5: texts of time. Back in the days of Moses, only
00:29:05
Speaker 5: kings and pharaohs were considered worthy of dignity and respect.
00:29:09
Speaker 5: Only they alone could hold the title of being created
00:29:13
Speaker 5: in the image of God. Only they represented Godliness. While
00:29:18
Speaker 5: the Bible was the first to suggest that no, not
00:29:21
Speaker 5: only were people who were in a position of power
00:29:24
Speaker 5: created in the image of God. All people are made
00:29:28
Speaker 5: with that rue heloim with the breath of God. And
00:29:32
Speaker 5: with that breath of God means that we are creating
00:29:35
Speaker 5: the image of God, and therefore we are worthy of
00:29:39
Speaker 5: dignity and respect. And that is what still sets the
00:29:43
Speaker 5: Bible apart today, this Bible that we are still studying
00:29:48
Speaker 5: thousands of years later. Together in our modern lives, we
00:29:53
Speaker 5: face our own nile rivers, situations that seem overwhelming, currents
00:29:58
Speaker 5: that feel too strong to fight again. Maybe it's a
00:30:01
Speaker 5: lost job, a broken relationship, or a health crisis. We
00:30:05
Speaker 5: might find ourselves in that basket, feeling small and exposed,
00:30:09
Speaker 5: vulnerable and weak. But remember also there God is at work.
00:30:17
Speaker 5: God is working a story into your life of destiny
00:30:21
Speaker 5: of what he wants for you. Just as he was
00:30:24
Speaker 5: with Moses, he is with us and our trials as well.
00:30:29
Speaker 5: Just look at how God used Pharaoh's daughter to bring
00:30:32
Speaker 5: about his plan. Doesn't He often use the most unexpected
00:30:36
Speaker 5: people and situations to fulfill his purposes. So think about this.
00:30:42
Speaker 5: Who are the Pharaoh's daughters in your life? Those unlikely
00:30:46
Speaker 5: sources of support and encouragement that you could surround yourself with.
00:30:51
Speaker 5: Be open to seeing God's hand in the places that
00:30:53
Speaker 5: you might not expect. Trust that He is guiding you
00:30:57
Speaker 5: even when the path seems uncertain. Remember the courage of
00:31:00
Speaker 5: Moses's mother and sister. They acted in faith, trusting in
00:31:05
Speaker 5: God's protection. Maybe you are being called to be that
00:31:08
Speaker 5: person for someone else, to step out in faith and compassionate,
00:31:12
Speaker 5: to be part of God's plan for another person who's
00:31:15
Speaker 5: going through a hard time. The main thing to remember,
00:31:19
Speaker 5: whether someone who needs help or is giving help, or
00:31:22
Speaker 5: both of those, is that God is at work, always
00:31:26
Speaker 5: with us and always blessing us.
00:31:30
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: add free by downloading and subscribing to the prey dot
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Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,
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Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive
00:31:50
Speaker 1: producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by
00:31:54
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
00:31:59
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
00:32:04
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
00:32:08
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
00:32:12
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
00:32:17
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
00:32:21
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