Let My People Go!

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:04 Speaker 2: Behold you are no Pharaoh. Behold answers, son of Seti, the image of her. 00:00:14 Speaker 3: Shaws and mother gods, to lead you into a new. 00:00:19 Speaker 4: And age. 00:00:19 Speaker 5: A power, oh Lord and age. 00:00:24 Speaker 2: But Egypt had be the envy of gold, where the laws of us cities will rive my other the heavens. Hello, enemy will tramp on. 00:00:35 Speaker 4: Me for us. 00:00:40 Speaker 6: Pharaoh will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders. Tell Pharaoh that Israel is my first born son. If he will not release my son to me, then I shall take his His first born will be as dust upon the wind, as a shadow upon the wall. 00:01:17 Speaker 7: The God of our forefathers appeared to me in a dream, commanding me to come here, meet you. 00:01:24 Speaker 5: What has happened? 00:01:26 Speaker 6: Why have you returned? 00:01:35 Speaker 5: He has a name. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the Lord. 00:01:45 Speaker 7: He's shown himself to you. 00:01:47 Speaker 5: Yes, he appeared in flames of fire. He said that he's heard the cries of our me. He will defeat phallow and lead them out of this place. 00:02:00 Speaker 7: I would be your voice, brother, Together we shall shake the fairy foundations of Egypt. 00:02:06 Speaker 6: And you taught people to the proms latity. 00:02:10 Speaker 4: That's so it would. 00:02:19 Speaker 8: The bricks had become a burden too great to bear. The cry of the oppressed rose louder than the lash of the whip. Shallo my friends from here in the holy land of Israel i'm y l Extein with international fellowship of Christians and Jews, Welcome to the Chosen People. Today's stories inspired by Exodus chapters five and six. The Israelites are enslaved, oppressed under Pharaoh's rule. Generations have cried out to God for deliverance, and now Moses returns, not as a prince, but as a liberator, a voice sent from God to declare, let my people go. But freedom is costly. Pharaoh's heart hardens, the burden grows even heavier. The people cry out again, and the question lingers, where is God? When deliverance feels delayed? Can you relate? Have you ever wondered is God really listening? 00:03:27 Speaker 1: Moses moved through the teeming streets of Thebes like a man wading through a dream. The heat pressed down upon the city and the voices of merchants and peddlers, The shouts of children and the quarrels of nobles swirled together into a ceaseless hum. But these sounds were far off to Moses. His mind was fixed on the voice that called him from the wilderness, the voice of I am the Lord. There was a trend in his step, a trembling that came not from the heat or the press of bodies, but from the weight of the task laid upon him. His lips moved in silent prayer. 00:04:12 Speaker 5: Lord, I'm not sure stronger for this. 00:04:16 Speaker 1: The sandstone steps to the palace courtyards were familiar beneath his feet, a memory from a life half forgotten. As he passed beyond the walls, the cacophony of thebes faded, replaced by the heavy silence of a place that thrumbed with power. Guards flanked the bath, their eyes cold beneath bronze helmets, hands tightening on the shafts of spears. As Moses and Aaron drew near. 00:04:47 Speaker 3: Topright their slaves. 00:04:49 Speaker 6: What business do you have in this palace? 00:04:53 Speaker 5: I am Moses, son of Bitia and grandson a Setti, lord of the Nile. 00:04:58 Speaker 1: The guards exchange looks heads cocked to one side like weary dogs scenting a lie. Moses garb was that of a Hebrew slave, his hands rough from years of labor. It was then that a figure stepped forward from the shadows, a face that had not changed much since Moses last saw it, though the years had made his back more rigid and his eyes more weary. 00:05:26 Speaker 9: By the Niles coil, Moses, is that you? 00:05:32 Speaker 1: It was Moses Sebait, much older but still upright with his hardened shoulders. 00:05:38 Speaker 9: Yes, Sabait, it is great to see you. We all thought the desert had claimed you in many ways. It did, But I returned to speak with Ramses, and you get me an audience with him. Ah, Yes, he will be eager to see you. 00:05:58 Speaker 1: With Sebait leading the way, Moses and Aaron passed the guards and entered the grand halls of Pharaoh. The throne rooms stretched out before them like the belly of a great beast, vast and cavernous, held up by thick columns painted with the likenesses of gods. Moses remembered this place well. He had stood behind his grandfather's throne here, watching as judgments were cast and fate sealed. It was different. 00:06:29 Speaker 3: Now. 00:06:30 Speaker 1: Where once hung the tapestries of Pharaoh's past, there were now only images of Rameses every wall, a testament to his grandeur. The court was full. Priests and nobles crowded the room like carrion birds around a fresh kill, each angling for a closer place to their lord. Aaron's voice was a low whisper in Moses's ear, tight with worry. 00:06:57 Speaker 7: I've got a bad feeling about this, Moses. Yes, I've never been here before. I'm not sure how to carry myself. 00:07:04 Speaker 5: We are about to break every code of conduct. Might as well just be yourself. 00:07:10 Speaker 1: They approached the throne, a marvel of craftsmanship, adorned with gold and inlaid with precious stones, flanked by statues of falcons and sphinxes, symbols of divine authority. And there sat Rameses the Pharaoh, as if sculpted from granite. His head was shaved, and he wore a head dress glimmering with sapphires. His chest was bare, his skin gleaming like polished bronze. And in his hands he held the crook and flail, the emblems of his dominion over Upper and Lower Egypt. His eyes were hard, his gaze like the edge of a homed blade. And beside him stood Nebermun, the chief priest, a man Moses knew well, a serpent tongued schemer whose voice could turn honey to venom. Sebate bowed low, but Moses remained upright, his eyes locked on the man who had once been like a brother to him. 00:08:14 Speaker 4: Moses, I know it was you the moment you walked in. 00:08:17 Speaker 5: Here, Rameses. It is good to see you again, Is it good? 00:08:25 Speaker 3: Moses? 00:08:26 Speaker 4: If I recalled before you fled to the desert, you killed one of our own. Why have you returned, and why do you bring a slave into my hallowed horse? 00:08:37 Speaker 5: I I. 00:08:40 Speaker 1: Aaron felt his brother's faltering and stepped forward, his voice rising above the murmurs of the court lord Pharaoh. 00:08:50 Speaker 7: Moses has been commissioned by our God. He has a message for you. 00:08:55 Speaker 1: Ramsy's eyes turned to Aaron, his nostrils flaring like a bull abo to charge. Nevermund stepped forward, his voice dripping with scorn. 00:09:08 Speaker 10: You dare address the Lord of the Nile. Who are you to speak to the image of ra slave? 00:09:16 Speaker 5: He is my brother. We have both come with a message from the God of Israel. 00:09:22 Speaker 10: What request does this god have with the. 00:09:26 Speaker 7: Image of ra Our God has commanded that Pharaoh let his people go into the wilderness to worship. 00:09:33 Speaker 10: You go to false love. Pharaoh takes no commands. He is the only one they ought to worship, Not this unnamed god of yours. He has a name, Oh does him? 00:09:50 Speaker 7: He is the I am the Lord. And thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. 00:10:04 Speaker 10: Preposterous, your pitiful slave God has no power here. No one from the mountains to the banks of the Nile has heard of this god. Perhaps the goats and the sheep of your ancestors bleeded out his name once or twice. 00:10:25 Speaker 1: The priest's taunting was like tinder to a flame. Moses could feel a deep, smoldering fury rising within him, a righteous anger that was not his own. The words of the priest grated against him like stones. 00:10:43 Speaker 10: And furthermore, if this god you serve is so powerful, then why are is people so weak? 00:10:51 Speaker 11: Hm? 00:10:53 Speaker 10: And I will tell you another thing. Barrel doesn't have time to entertain the dedic company of outlaw. 00:11:03 Speaker 1: And enough he stepped forward, his staff held firmly in his grasp, and slammed it against the sandstone floor. The sound echoed through the great hall like the breaking of chains. 00:11:18 Speaker 5: Ramses, this is not a request let my people go. 00:11:24 Speaker 1: The words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding, and for a long moment silence reigned. Then the tension broke, and Ramses laughed, a deep, rolling sound. The priests and nobles followed, their laughter rising like a chorus of crows. 00:11:45 Speaker 4: Ha Ha, there's that familiar anger, Moses. Decades in the desert, it had done little to settle your temper. I do not know this god of yours. Who is the lord that I should obey. I am the image of Rah, the Lord of the Nile. The sun rises and sets according to my greatness. I will not let your people go. Moses, I do not acknowledge this God of yours. 00:12:21 Speaker 5: Treadlightly, Rameses, the God of the Hebrews will not relent. 00:12:27 Speaker 4: Is that a threat, Moses. 00:12:30 Speaker 6: It is not a threat. 00:12:33 Speaker 5: It is a promise. 00:12:35 Speaker 1: That Pharaoh rose from his throne. The room seemed to shrink around him as he descended, the steps, each footfall echoing like the beating of a war drum. The air was thick with fear, but Moses and Aarons stood their ground. Rameses came to stand before Moses, close enough that Moses could see the fire in his eyes. 00:13:00 Speaker 4: Have you come to spar with me again? 00:13:02 Speaker 6: Mosense? 00:13:03 Speaker 4: Are you challenging a god? 00:13:07 Speaker 5: Rameses? It is not I who is challenging you. 00:13:11 Speaker 4: Your God doesn't frighten me. I am that which was, and is and shall be, And no man or God has lifted my veil. 00:13:23 Speaker 1: Pharaoh returned to his throne, settling back upon it with the air of a boy who had tied of his toys. 00:13:31 Speaker 4: Ah the respect for my late sister, I will allow you to retreat back to Goshen with your heads. Do not muddy these chambers again with your presence. You've been warmed. 00:13:44 Speaker 1: At his signal, the gods seized the brothers and dragged them out of the palace. They were tossed into the streets like refuse, landing hard. 00:13:53 Speaker 6: In the mud. 00:13:55 Speaker 1: Aaron groaned as he rolled to his side. 00:13:58 Speaker 7: To be quite honest, that when far better than I expected. In fact, that's probably the gentlest an Egyptian guard has ever treated me. 00:14:08 Speaker 5: I can't say I share your joy. 00:14:10 Speaker 6: What do you think he'll do next. 00:14:12 Speaker 5: If I know Ramses, he'll make a measured move to assert his dominance. He won't let this slight go unpunished. 00:14:22 Speaker 7: He's going to punish the people and blame you. 00:14:25 Speaker 1: Get ready, Moses, Aaron, Moses, and Miriam stood shoulder to shoulder as they listened to the Egyptian general, a grim figure atop a dark horse, proclaiming Pharaoh's new decree. His voice boomed across the assembly of slaves, carrying Pharaoh's edict like a death knell. 00:14:49 Speaker 3: Thus, says Pharaoh, the image of a rah and lord of an I, your taskmasters. 00:14:57 Speaker 4: Will no longer give you straw to. 00:14:59 Speaker 6: Me your bricks. 00:15:01 Speaker 3: From now on, every slave will be responsible for finding and grinding their own straw. This does not change your quota for bricks. You will still be expected to provide the same number of bricks per day. Moses, an error. The sons of a arm have come to Pharaoh with request to leave for the wilderness. Since you all have so much time on your. 00:15:31 Speaker 6: Hands to plan such things, Pharaoh has seen fit. 00:15:35 Speaker 5: To increase your labor. 00:15:38 Speaker 3: Every man who cries out in such a way asking to worship their god in the wilderness will be given heavier work. Hey, no regard to such men. 00:15:50 Speaker 6: Or you will receive. 00:15:51 Speaker 3: The same punishment. This is the final decree of Pharaoh. 00:15:59 Speaker 1: The three said Ling's exchanged concerned looks. The murmurs began as a low rumble, spreading like a wave among the people. Moses felt the weight of their stairs, accusing fearful, betrayed. They had prayed for deliverance, but had not counted the cost it would demand. This was only the beginning. Moses turned to Aaron and Miriam, his voice low. 00:16:27 Speaker 5: And have to remind the people that this will be a long process. It won't be easy. It's never been easy, Moses. The groans you are hearing are not new, Miriam. Is there anybody else who can speak on our behalf? Anyone to encourage the people to keep their spirit high? My son will be eager to help. 00:16:48 Speaker 10: He's loved among the younger generation. 00:16:50 Speaker 6: Her is a fine young marin. 00:16:52 Speaker 7: He will help us. But we will also need to convince some of the elders to keep the droning to a minimum. I may need to do some work in the and pull some favors. 00:17:01 Speaker 4: Careful with all that politicking, Aaron, Aaron. 00:17:04 Speaker 1: Left with a wave and a nod. Moses glanced around at the crowd, so many angry faces, eyes like knives. He felt a chill despite the heat, a sudden vulnerability. Miriam squeezed his arm, guiding him away. Pharaoh did not relent. His decree stood, and the burdens of the children of Israel grew heavier. They were forced to gather their own straw, to grind it and mix it with clay to build. With blistered hands, they fell behind in their work, and the lash fell heavier upon their backs. Food was withheld. The weak grew weaker. When the foremen dead present themselves before Pharaoh to beg for mercy, his answer was a scornful bark. 00:17:56 Speaker 4: You are idle and lazy people keep before me begging for rest in the wilderness to sing songs to your God. 00:18:06 Speaker 3: Clearly you have. 00:18:07 Speaker 4: Enough time on your hands for more bricks. I shall not relent. 00:18:12 Speaker 2: More work, fast our work. 00:18:16 Speaker 1: The foreman returned, despondent and frustrated. The bottoms of their eyes were creased with weariness. When the people gathered together, the foreman lashed out at Moses. 00:18:28 Speaker 5: The lord judge of what's happened to us? 00:18:30 Speaker 11: Moses, you've made us a stink in the sight of Berwin his taskmasters. You may as well put a sword in their hands to kill us. 00:18:39 Speaker 1: The crowd stirred, and Moses shrunk back in shame. His worst fears were manifesting before him. 00:18:47 Speaker 7: Brothers and sisters, calm yourselves. Is this not what we've been praying for? This is all a part of the Lord's plan. 00:18:55 Speaker 11: Does that plan involve our children's hands pleading from grinding the heyes, the Lord's Salvati work in such ways. 00:19:03 Speaker 5: Erin patience. We will get through this. 00:19:07 Speaker 11: And what if we don't like? What if it only gets worse? Will Moses flee again and lead us to bleed? 00:19:15 Speaker 7: Moses isn't going anyways, Moses, Moses, where are you going? 00:19:20 Speaker 1: Moses left without a word. He turned the corner and ran down to the river bank. The sound of the angry crowd faded, replaced by the sounds of crickets by a steady river. Moses fell to the ground and wept. He cried out to the Lord, feeling the immense weight of the people's welfare. 00:19:42 Speaker 12: Oh Lord, why have you forsaken these people? Why have you committed such an evil against them? Is this a part of your plan. Is this what redemption looks like? I said exactly what you wanted me to say. 00:19:57 Speaker 5: Ever since their lives have been worse you have I delivered them at all. 00:20:02 Speaker 1: The reeds whispered in the wind, bending beneath an unseen force, And in that moment the voice of the Lord spoke, calm and steady as the river itself. 00:20:14 Speaker 6: Whoms have only begun. Moses, you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. With a strong hand, he will send my children away, and with a shout he will drive them out of. 00:20:31 Speaker 5: This land that seems impossible. 00:20:35 Speaker 6: I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the God most High, but my name was hidden to them. Yet I made a promise to them, a covenant to keep them in the land of Canaan. I have heard the groans of my people. I remember my covenant. Go before the people and remind them of these things. 00:21:07 Speaker 1: Moses rose, the weight of the world still heavy upon his shoulders, but something steadier within him. Now he returned to the throng, moving slowly, his steps deliberate. The faces that met him were weary and worn, but he spoke as he had been commanded. 00:21:29 Speaker 5: The Lord has spoken to you. He wants to remind you of his promises. Thus says the Lord your God. 00:21:39 Speaker 1: As he spoke, his voice blended with another stronger voice, one that seemed to come from the very earth itself. 00:21:48 Speaker 5: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from flavery and relieve. 00:21:56 Speaker 6: You with an outstretched arm. My judgment will be great, it will be final. You shall be my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the Lord, your God, who has brought you out of slavery and into freedom. The land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob shall be yours, for I am the Lord. 00:22:30 Speaker 1: The people listened as if the words came from the lips of God himself. Something ancient and powerful stirred within them, a memory buried deep but never forgotten. They remembered who they were, and more importantly, they remembered whose they were. They were the children of Israel, the chosen. 00:22:55 Speaker 8: People who I'm still catching my breath from that episode. The weight of it all, the tension, the oppression, the cries of our ancestors echoing through the centuries. You can almost feel the pressure building, can't you The pain of waiting, the sting of promises yet unfulfilled. It's pretty unsettling, isn't it? To hear Moses, full of hope, declaring freedom, only. 00:23:27 Speaker 1: For things to get worse. 00:23:29 Speaker 8: The people are crushed even more under Pharaoh's thumb, And it makes you ask why does liberation sometimes feel more like chains? But at the same time, there's something stirring beneath the surface. Even as Pharaoh digs in his heels, you can sense God's hand at work, quietly, powerfully, getting ready to move. You can feel the storm brewing. This Bible story makes me wonder how often do we mistake God's silence for inaction. First, let's start with Moses. In this story, Moses continues the great tradition of great Biblical leaders of the Chosen People engaging with God and even criticizing him when fairness and justice are at stake. In verse twenty two and twenty three, Moses actually says to God, quote, why Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all. End quote WHOA How could Moses speak that way that harsh to God? 00:24:46 Speaker 5: Well? 00:24:47 Speaker 8: I think that Moses saw his mission as being an advocate for the chosen people, often even after they had sinned. And so here Moses presents God with what he sees as a contradiction. I had promised to rescue the Israelites from slavery. He sent Moses to do that. But now, instead of freedom, the people found their situation getting even worse. Moses's question to God is perhaps unanswerable, but it has been asked for generations. Why must God's people suffer so very much? The only real answer for the faith that we've had since Egypt is that while it may take time, there is redemption at the end of the tunnel. And here I am speaking to you from the Holy Land to which the Jewish people have returned to finally, after two thousand years. Our suffering has been long and hard, and it continues to have its challenges. But we pray, and we read the words of our scriptures, and we believe that we are now in a new chapter of this prophetic reality. But Moses isn't the only hero who I want to talk about in this story. The Hebrew Foremen also acted heroically. The Egyptian taskmasters mercilessly beat the Israelite slaves because they weren't producing the quota of bricks that was expected, but the Hebrew four Men refused to in turn beat their Hebrew brothers and sisters, even though they were endangering themselves. I personally find inspiration from their example. Standing up for a principle even under the threat of punishment, especially under the threat of punishment, is what I look at as true heroism. Jewish tradition teaches that these very Hebrew Foremen were so holy and so heroic that they were later chosen as the seventy elders who were appointed as judges of the nation of Israel during their time in the desert. Good acts, heroic acts are indeed rewarded by God. There's one more thing that I want to discuss that this story made me think about something that's as important to discuss today as ever before. This Bible story is the first instance of the Chosen people being accused of idleness because they wanted to devote time to serving God. This very accusation has served as a major anti Semitic trope for millennia, the idea that Jewish people don't contribute to the countries where they live because they're always praying and celebrating holidays. Of course, we know that the opposite has always been true. The Jewish people have enriched the countries in which they have lived, often drawing on inspiration from spiritual sources this Bible that we study each day in order to do so. We see the Jewish people being committed to furthering health care and helping with new innovations that make life better, whether it comes to agriculture, medicine, or technology. The Jewish people are committed to making this broken world a little bit better and easier to live in. But we see that it is no different today than it was thousands of years ago. When it comes to anti Semitism, the truth often goes out the window. And that's why I am so thankful for Israel and the Jewish people's Christian friends today, who not only stand for truth, but who stand with us as true brothers and sisters, as the Chosen people. The story of the Exodus, the story of God's light piercing through the darkness of oppression, his pursuit of his people. His justice is mercy, his unwavering love, from bondage to freedom, from darkness to light. How does this ancient story speak to our lives today? What are the Pharaohs that we face in our time? Maybe the stress of work conflicts with our families, the inner battles that drain our spirit. But even today, the message of Exodus is clear that we are not alone. Think about your everyday struggles, the deadlines that feel like chains, the relationships that seem beyond repair, the doubts that threaten to choke our faith in these moments? Can you hear God calling you? Can you feel his outstretched hand inviting you to step into the chalom the peace and blessings that he offers. I hear him calling you, and I pray that you'll have the strength to answer. 00:29:59 Speaker 1: You can listen and to the Chosen People with y Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chose People with Yail Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.