Miriam's Rebellion

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: How can we trust that you won't run again. When you killed that Egyptian all those years ago, Pharaoh's grip became harder. 00:00:12 Speaker 3: I have been met by one who alters the wind's course. I have seen his wonders before my eyes. I know there's nowhere I can run to where he will not find me. It is love and fear that binds me to you and to these people. 00:00:34 Speaker 2: Welcome home, brother, I will follow you. It's these foreigners that travel with us, the Kushites, med Jays, Libyan's Asiatics, whoever they are, the heathens that are leading our people astray. They complain about the lack of variety and the blendness of our food, disregarding our meager resources, and now we will. 00:00:57 Speaker 4: Have people clamoring to kill our livestock for meat. 00:01:00 Speaker 2: I blame the rabble of foreigners for bringing this upon us. They've tempted our good people into sin. 00:01:07 Speaker 5: Enough enough enough of this blame game throwing insults around. Is it going to correct the flimsy faith of our people? They don't need an excuse for their lack of faith. Why have you brought such trouble on me? You must be angry with me. Why else would you burden me with all these people? Am I their mother? Did I carry them in my womb? 00:01:34 Speaker 3: No? Then warcless. 00:01:35 Speaker 5: I endure their infantile cries day and night. 00:01:42 Speaker 2: What am I going to do? 00:01:44 Speaker 5: Where can I get meet to give all these people? I can't carry all these people by myself? Then too much for me. If you are going to treat me like this, just kill me right now. If I found fatal with you, and don't let me see my misery. 00:01:59 Speaker 6: Any bring me seventy elders from Israel. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you. I will take some of the spirit who is on you and put the spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so you do not have to ever alone. 00:02:22 Speaker 7: Click the link of the description to grow closer to God. There you'll find daily prayers, Bible plans, sleep stories, and so much more, all on the prey dot com app. Click the link of the description to get started. 00:02:36 Speaker 1: The wind scoured the wilderness, carrying with it the dry, biting scent of dust and the faint traces of decay that still lingered from the quailed plague. Miriam stood at the camp's edge, her figure stooped but proud, her face weathered by time and sorrow. Seven days of isolation had etched deeper lines into her features. But it was her heart that bore the heaviest scars. The deaths of her son, Her and her grandson Yuri haunted her, who had fallen amid the chaos of the Golden Calf Rebellion, his blood spilled by the mob's blind fury, Yuri had been claimed by greed, choking in the very quay meat that had rained from the heavens. A bitter irony, Miriam could neither forgive nor forget. Her pain vested into anger, and her anger found a target the foreigners, among them the so called mixed multitude. It was their influence, she told herself, that had corrupted the Israelites. From her point of view, their presence had brought the wrath of the Lord. They were a shadow over the Chosen People, diluting their mission and sowing weakness. And the one who permitted to stay, the man who held the staff of power, was her brother Moses. As the sun dipped behind the jagged hills, casting the land in deep purples of golds, Miriam prepared for the final act of her purification. Her steps were steady as she joined the line of the young teen, those who had buried their dead in the plague's wake. They awaited the priests at the CAB's border, where ashwater would cleanse them of their impurity. Miriam's family accompanied her, Bezamo, her great grandson, the tabernacle's gifted architect, and her widowed granddaughter in all Yet even with their presence, she felt the chill of isolation, a wall of anger and grief separating her from them. At the border, Eliza and Ishamol, Aaron's sons, stood solemnly with the purification vessels deep and deliberate. Eliza's voice carried over the crowd's murmurs. 00:05:02 Speaker 4: Oh, dear aunt, Miriam, we grieve with you. Come forward, and you'll be made clean. 00:05:09 Speaker 1: Miriam stepped forward, holding her head high, though the indignity of her place in line burned in her chest. Eliza sprinkled the ash water over her, droplets running like tears down her cheeks. She clenched her jaw against the chill, refusing to flinch. Elieza offered a respectful nod. Before moving on to Besilo and the others. As the ritual progressed, Miriam's mind churned. Moses and Aaron were exempt from this. The law shielded them, keeping them apart from death and mourning, but also from the people they claimed to serve. She had stood alongside them at the Red Sea, raising her voice in songs of triumph, and yet now her brothers acted like she was a relic, a symbol of honor with no real influence. That sting of rejection fanned her anger into resolve. She would confront them later. As the camp settled into the stillness of evening, Miriam approached the central tents, where power resided. She stopped short when she saw Eldad and Madad, two of the seventy elders appointed to aid Moses. Their faces lit up with reverence as they greeted her. Miriam managed a curt smile. 00:06:28 Speaker 2: Your condolences are noted, But tell me what business brings you here. Your tribes are assigned to the west, are they not. 00:06:36 Speaker 1: From behind a cluster of tents, Hoshia emerged, his movements quick and purposeful. His gaze flickered nervously to Miriam as he approached my lords. 00:06:47 Speaker 6: The elders are gathering in Lord Moses's tent. Oh guide you. 00:06:51 Speaker 1: The elders departed with Hoshia, leaving Miriam to stew in her isolation. Her anger simmered. The powers wielded once shared with her now felt distant and unreachable. She clenched her fists and strode toward Moses' tent. Inside the tent, Moses and Aaron sat in quiet discussion. Miriam entered without preamble, her presence as sharp as a blade. 00:07:20 Speaker 2: Brother, I require a word with you, Miriam. 00:07:23 Speaker 3: We were just about to begin deliberations about moving forward. 00:07:26 Speaker 2: A word, Moses, Ah, speak your mind, sister? What has changed? You used to seek my counsel? Include me in decisions? Do I not prophesy? Do I not advise? Was it not my hand that God used to protect you and lead you back to our people? Have I not stood faithfully by you since your return? Yet? Now you appoint new elders and leave me out. You call the spirit of God upon these men who are not your kin? What makes them so deserving? You're so absorbed in your duties that you don't even think of your family anymore. Have you become so Holy that you're no longer one of us? Is that why you've abandoned me? 00:08:17 Speaker 6: Mariam? 00:08:17 Speaker 4: No, what you have to understand is no. 00:08:21 Speaker 2: What I see is you both edging me out. He's edged Ou't you too, Aaron? Or have you not noticed? The High Priest cannot even bury his own children. He cannot grieve as a father should. Miriam and you we've both agreed. Does the Lord only speak through you? You would rule over us like a pharaoh. You would appoint elders and captains, and cast your own family aside, Me to the outskirts and Aaron to the tabernacle. You surround yourself with people you can control. Are you so intimidated that we too might have something to say? That we too maybe merited leaders? 00:09:08 Speaker 1: Miriam was only picking up speed, the flames of her rage only kicking up as she drew breath. The shock on her brother's faces at her words did not even face her as she plowed forward, unleashing her rage at last. 00:09:23 Speaker 2: Ha, and you are not so perfect, brother. Our people are dying, and yet you stand by your precious foreigners. Your years living in the house of our enemies undermine your loyalty to us, Your love for your Cushite wife and her family has elevated their status among us. Did not the Lord command us not to make treaties with foreigners, saying they will become a snare among us? And yet you welcome your wife's father and invite his people to jo join us, And you do not send those who came with us from Egypt away. 00:10:05 Speaker 3: You know that my in laws hail from Midian Their bloodline can be traced back to Abraham himself Midianite Cushite. 00:10:13 Speaker 2: It makes no difference. Would you marry a Cushite woman next? There are plenty of them here, but they are not the chosen people. They did not come through the promised son Isaac. 00:10:27 Speaker 1: She knew that her words had stung. Moses. Zippora was a woman. She socialized with a new world. She cared for her sons as well. But Miriam could no longer ignore the troubles and missteps of the people. She needed someone to blame. They had risked too much and had come so far. In her grief, hatred had formed, and in her hatred a villain emerged. The others, anyone who was not like them, anyone who had block them from taking the land. They had been promised. Moses took a steadying breath, and she could tell he was trying to get a grip on his anger. It was always there, just beneath the surface. He could hide it from most, perhaps even from himself, as he had grown wisened and burdened by responsibility. But she saw him plain. Moses hands were shaking in anger. His sister's words cut him to the core. Setting aside her callous words about his wife, the nagging voice from deep within himself that told him he didn't belong, that he didn't belong anywhere, was starting to awaken. It shifted and coiled inside of him, readying to rise and consume him. He knew Miriam was allowing her grief to overrun her. This was not Miriam, This was not the clever, reasonable, wise woman he had come to know. He clung to that truth as the lies of his own inner demons threatened to take over. He would have to try and appeal to that reason. You're twisting the words of the Lord to soothe your own prejudice. You know, those who came with us were escaping the oppressors of Egypt, the same as us. You would have us become the oppressors in your bigotry. The Lord warns us from being swayed or taken with the pagan customs of the peoples we encounter here in the desert. The ones who come with us or treat us well can benefit from the blessing of the Lord. You know this, The blessing of the Lord is not a resource to hoard. Your anger is making you legalistic. 00:12:34 Speaker 2: And that is why you find me unfit to rule at your side. 00:12:39 Speaker 1: Moses's heart lurched. They had come to it at last. Her hurt was not so different from his own. The wounds of isolation and rejection cut deep. The brokenness in her voice softened his heart, and the raging fires dwindled. He was about to comfort her when he felt the present of the Lord in his mind stir warning him not to let down his guard. Moses looked to his brother Aaron, who had despondently observed this exchange. He had been upholding his duties and his faith, but he seemed far away. Moses knew he was still grieving as well. They had all suffered so much loss in these short years since Egypt. 00:13:25 Speaker 3: And you, brother, do you share the same belief that I've fallen short as your leader. 00:13:33 Speaker 1: Miriam's head whipped to aaron and she pinned him with a meaningful stare. Moses's heart lurched again. They had spoken of this before. Between the two of them, there was an unmistakable understanding between them. Moses's bride stung with the feeling of being cut out again. 00:13:51 Speaker 4: Brother, No one will deny that you're a prophet, but Miriam speaks the truth. You are not the only one among us. The Lord speaks through. I think your pride has gotten the best of you. 00:14:05 Speaker 1: Moses was stunned his pride when they both so clearly pined for power. They were both unsatisfied with the rolls they had been given. Moses had never wanted this, he didn't choose it. It had forged a humility in him that he was constantly reckoning with at every turn. The losses, the failures, the missteps. The power of the Lord stood above it all, and somehow Moses was still there, still asked to lead. Pride had nothing to do with it, with all that he had to endure, Perhaps he was the most humble man on the face of the earth, for his fears and his ego would have made him give up long ago. It was only through his humility that he could maintain the faithfulness to keep to his mission. But suddenly he felt the anger of the Lord mounting. He had felt this before. It shook him out of his own in a turmoil. His stomach dropped out. He knew where this was headed, but he could not deny the promptings of the Lord. 00:15:11 Speaker 3: We are being summoned to stand before the Lord. 00:15:15 Speaker 1: Aaron's knees trembled as he stood before the Lord, the towering head of cloud swirling above them at the tenth entrance. He knew his siblings would notice his fear. Speaking aloud the doubts he and Miriam shared about Moses now felt like a grave error. Yet, seeing Miriam's desperation, he couldn't falter in supporting her, and deep down, he couldn't deny the doubt that had been growing in his heart for a long time. For who had suffered more than Aaron. He had sacrificed his first borns and relinquished his leadership to Moses. Perhaps that had been the true mistake, but standing now before their Lord, he had a sinking feeling that it had been a bigger mistake. To say it aloud. 00:16:01 Speaker 6: Listen to what I say. If there is a prophet among you from the Lord, I make myself known to him in a vision. I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is the most faithful in all my household. I speak with him directly, openly, not in riddles. He alone sees my very form. 00:16:34 Speaker 1: Aaron could not stop trembling. Drawing breath was difficult, as the words. 00:16:39 Speaker 6: Lord pund over them in a. 00:16:41 Speaker 1: Likening building within the cloud, punctuated every word. 00:16:45 Speaker 6: Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses and the jealousy and resentment you harbor in your hearts towards him? You must have known I would not let it stand. 00:16:59 Speaker 1: Aaron's needs finally gave out, and he fell. He sobbed as his heart broke, and he relented. In his heart, he begged for forgiveness of his own pride and scheming. 00:17:11 Speaker 4: Please, Lord, you've forgiven me before, Please do so again. I know I don't deserve it, but please forgive me now. 00:17:21 Speaker 1: Aaron fell face down before ward weeping. Miriam stood beside him, tears streaming silently, though defiance still burned in her eyes. Suddenly, the cloud withdrew, and her scream pierced the air. Aaron flinched, feeling she had been struck down like his son's, but as Moses rushed to her, he gasped in horror. Miriam's skin had turned white and diseased, flaking and peeling like snow. From where Aaron knelt, he watched as the sows spread rapidly, the skin fluttering away like dust. Her cries shifted from shock to the sharp yelps of pain as numbness crept. 00:18:03 Speaker 6: Through her limbs. 00:18:04 Speaker 1: Aaron remained frozen, paralyzed by fear, unable to help. Moses, however, dropped to his knees, facing the most holy place and pleaded desperately for her healing. 00:18:17 Speaker 5: Ugh, no, no, my God, Please please, please don't hold against this, the said, We've. 00:18:23 Speaker 3: So foolishly committed. 00:18:25 Speaker 2: Please heal her. 00:18:27 Speaker 1: Miriam's cries became whimpers of despair. Aaron could barely stand to look at her in her agony. For a moment, there was nothing but Miriam's broken cries and the intensity of Moses, Please, hanging in the air between them and the holy veil of the tabernacle. The Lord finally responded, and his anger seemed diminished. 00:18:49 Speaker 6: Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days. After that she may be brought back. 00:18:57 Speaker 1: In relief added through both brothers. Miriam cried out as well, knowing she had been spared by her brother's intervention. Aaron let out a shuddering breath, determinedly grateful he did not have to watch another execution in the holy place. Moses gently approached Aaron and placed his hand on his shoulder. 00:19:19 Speaker 3: Needs a purifier, so her diseased skin can in here. Call your son, he he his heart to do it. I will help him. 00:19:30 Speaker 1: With trembling hands, Aaron called for Elieza to perform the ritual for cleansing skin diseases. As high priest, Aaron couldn't risk becoming ritually and pure, even for his sister. He stood a few paces back, watching helplessly as Miriam knelt on the ground. Two birds were brought forward like the goats on Atonement day, one for sacrifice and the other to be set free. Miriam defeated and contrite accepted her penance, weeping out apologies as they helped cleanse her and shave her hair according to custom. Moses and Aaron then sent her into the wilderness for the seven days of purification. Moses declared that the camp would not move until Miriam was fully restored and clean. This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Caltafianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. 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