Moses Sees God

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:05 Speaker 2: Go down at once. Your people, whom you brought up from Egypt, have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned away from the way I commanded them, making an image of the golden calf. Whoever has sinned against me, I will erase from my book. Loud go lead the people to the place I told you about. Ah, he will go before you. But on the day I sit of the counts, AI will hold them accountable for their sin. 00:00:43 Speaker 1: The plague had chipped away at their numbers significantly. There was scarcely a family to be found among them who had not been affected. 00:00:51 Speaker 3: Now spread the word among the camp. This place is to be called the Tent of Meeting. Any One who wants to consult Our God to seek spiritual council can do so here. 00:01:08 Speaker 1: The first time Aaron saw Moses enter the Tent of Meeting, hope was rekindled in his heart. He had never seen anything quite like it. Moses would walk out to the remote tent, away from the rest of the camp, and people would stand at the entryways to their own tents to observe. Moses would enter the tent, and the pillar of cloud, just like the one that guided them through the desert. After they escaped from Egypt, would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent. Moses would speak with their God inside the tent, just as he had done on the mountain. 00:01:45 Speaker 2: All these. 00:01:48 Speaker 3: Let me see your glory. 00:01:50 Speaker 1: He just wanted to see what he looked like. He longed to understand. He wanted to know his God more fully. 00:01:58 Speaker 2: But a ye, who me it? So my glory will pass before you. You will see my glory and nor my name come to you tomorrow. 00:02:09 Speaker 1: On the mountain, Moses stared at the pillar before him in awe. Tomorrow he would see the glory of his God, and he would finally learn his name, his true name. Hoser was sitting inside the tent of meeting, as he did every day. He sat in the back of the tent and was separated from the section where Moses held an audience with the Lord. He couldn't always make out the words of what they were saying, but the muffled tones of the Lord's voice never ceased to amaze him. He wondered if the Lord would ever speak to him like that. One day, on this day, one word seemed to cut through the fabric of the tent and pierce Hoshier straight in the heart. The words seemed and felt like breath itself, like life itself. He sensed a shift in the atmosphere around him, almost in response to this word. Maybe it was a place, a thing, or a person. Whatever it was, it was important. A few moments passed and there was quiet from the other end of the tent. Moses called for Hoshier as he began to exit the tent of meeting Hoshaya. 00:03:38 Speaker 3: Come, I've a task to complete and we'll require your assistance. 00:03:44 Speaker 1: Hoshier jumped up and followed Moses. 00:03:47 Speaker 2: Here, I am whatever you need. 00:03:49 Speaker 3: Our God has asked that I have the new stone tablets cut to replace the ones I brought down from the mountain. We're to go see the stone workers. 00:04:00 Speaker 2: Stone workers. No one has used that craft since we left Egypt. There's no stone work to be done here. 00:04:05 Speaker 3: Do not worry, my son. Find the men who possessed the craft of hewing stone and send them to my tent. I'll supply the stone they need to dress. You can count on me and Hoshea. Once I have the new tablets made, I'll return to him on the mountain. 00:04:24 Speaker 2: Am I to go with you up the mountain again. No, not this time, my son. 00:04:30 Speaker 3: In fact, I'll need you to warn the people to stay away from the mountain again. Even the flocks and herds are not to graze in front of the mountain. Spread this news, drought camp, and assemble the elders to enforce it. While I'm gone, o. 00:04:44 Speaker 1: Sheer ran off in search of the men who were stone cutters and masons in Egypt. He brought them to MOSE's tent, and they found him on his hands and knees in the center of his tent, having thrown back the rugs and animals skins that served as his floor. He was digging into the very earth of the desert floor. He triumphantly cried out as they approached. 00:05:05 Speaker 3: Ah, perfect timing. Ah, It's just as our God said it would be. Look here, this is the stone wall cut to form the new tablets. 00:05:16 Speaker 1: Hosier and the stone workers peered in over Moses's shoulder to find rough carving stone protruding from the dirt floor of moses tent. The stone workers made quick work of removing the stone from the ground and hauling it over to their makeshift banker table to dress the stone. Moses oversaw the cutting, shaping, and surfacing of the tablets. The finished tablets were just as Hosher remembered from the day they came down the mountain, about six handbreads wide and long, and about three hand breads deep. Just before first light, Hosher arose early, just in time to see his master take up the new stone tablets and depart in the direction of the mountain. Moses panted and stopped to catch his breath and readjust the heavy stone tablets in his arms. He wished that Hosher had been permitted to join him, if for no other reason than to carry one of the tablets. 00:06:15 Speaker 3: Ah ha, ah ha, I'm too old for this, Lord, This is a young man's work. 00:06:25 Speaker 1: A Moses heaved and panted his way up. He finally reached the point on the mountain side where the clouds hung low, creating an other worldly misty divide between this world and the divine. Moses steeled his breath and pushed into the cloud. Moses noticed a crevice in the rock, and he carefully lowered himself within. The rock walls came up well above his head, but he could see the surrounding mountain side through the narrow opening within the aperture. He set the stone tablets down beside him and waited. Her stillness crept over the mountainside, and Moses's heart began to race. 00:07:09 Speaker 2: This was it. 00:07:10 Speaker 1: He held his breath in anticipation as a booming voice began to speak. It rattled his heart in his chest and his teeth in his jaw. He felt as though his entire life had been leading to this moment. He had asked something mighty of his God, and he was about to answer. 00:07:31 Speaker 2: You have reminded me that I have called you and knowed you by your name. Now you will know me by my name, and you will see my glory. My name is Yahway with. 00:07:48 Speaker 1: That, Moses sensed his God's hand cover him inside the rock, and he knew his God was passing in front of him. Yaheh's hand shielded him from the overwhelming glory that would strike him dead. From behind the hand, he continued to speak. He spoke the meaning of his name, Yahweh. Moses absorbed the name for a second time. 00:08:14 Speaker 2: I am a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love for a thousand generations for giving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequence of the father's iniquity on the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generation. 00:08:45 Speaker 1: When Yahoeh finished speaking, he lifted his hand from Moses's hiding place in the rock, and Moses saw his back, just as he had promised. As Moses took in his God's glory, he considered his name, the name that described his relationship to his people. He loved them, rescued them, was loyal to them, faithful to them, forgave them, and would judge and avenge them, disciplining and guiding them as a loving father. Tears of revelation sprang to moses eyes. His glory shone all around him. Moses had to squint his eyes and shield them from taking it all. In the compassion and grace Yaheh spoke of his very name was a palpable feeling in Moses's soul. His heart ached, ached with longing to know more, to see more, for the resolution of a broken world where he no longer had to hide in a cracked rock from his wondrous creator, God, the God most High the God Almighty Yahweh. Names and titles were a feeble human attempt to contain and describe something indescribable, so intangible, an unspoken groaning that came from deep within himself, a sensation of utter awe for which there was no interpreter. And who was this glorious and powerful God that he thought of Moses of any humor at all? But yet he loved them even though they had failed, and would continue to do so. This was unlike any god Moses had ever heard of in. 00:10:36 Speaker 2: The known world. 00:10:37 Speaker 1: A god who would remain faithful to a people who rebelled against him betrayed him. A God who would choose a forgotten, downtrodden people to be his people. Absolutely unheard of, radical, and perhaps the most humbling revelation of all. He appointed Moses to lead his chosen people. He knelt low and worshiped before his God. Inspired by the very name of his God and all that it represented, he again advocated, on behalf of the people. 00:11:12 Speaker 3: My God, your way. If I have indeed found favor with you, please go with us. Though we are stiff necked people. Remember you rescued us from Egypt's iron smelting furnace. Be patient with us, as your name declares. Forgive our nequity and our sin, and accept us as your own possession, your inheritance. 00:11:49 Speaker 2: Now and always take up the tablets. I will renew the covenant with you to day in the presence of all your people. Ah, you will perform wonders that have never been done mean the whole earth or in any nation. All the people you live among will see my work, for what I am doing with you is all inspiring. Observe what I command you to day, and I will drive out your enemies before you. 00:12:27 Speaker 1: Moses listened as his God renewed the covenant. He recounted what was there before, but also added stern warnings of how his people should conduct themselves in the conquest and inhabitation of the promised land to come. It had been forty days and forty nights, and Moses had still not returned. 00:12:54 Speaker 2: He had not. 00:12:54 Speaker 1: Taken food or water with him. Just as before, Hosher returned each morning to wait at the age of camp to see if that day would be the day Moses returned. He had done as his master had bid. The elders kept the people away from the mountain and the surrounding foothills. The herds had even been driven out to graze in the opposite direction. That morning, Hoshia sensed that something might be different. The last time Moses returned with the stone tablets was after forty days, and this morning was the fortieth day. Hoshier scanned the horizon and went up toward the clouded mountain. His heart caught as he saw a speck of movement in the foothills. He was right, it had to be Moses returning to them at last. He was about to turn and run to notify Arron and the others when he noticed that the faraway figure appeared to be emitting a soft glow. 00:13:54 Speaker 2: He frowned. 00:13:55 Speaker 1: Perhaps it was a strange reflection, he realized it must be. How else would he be able to see him against the darkness of the cloud cover. He shrugged and hurried to go find Aaron. The figure approaching camp was thought to be Moses. That was what the boy Hoshir had said, but Aaron was not so sure. As he drew closer, he called out to the figure from a safe distance. 00:14:23 Speaker 2: Stay back, Everyone stays back until we know who approaches. 00:14:28 Speaker 1: Aaron stood before the elders and many of the Israelites gathered at the edge of their camp. The figure approaching their camp was holding the same stone tablets Moses left with, and even dressed as Moses was usually dressed. But this being's face was radiant and shining. Aaron had never seen such a thing. He struggled to find the words to describe it. Beams of light radiated from the head and protruded outward, almost like horns, like some pagan siml divinity. The horns of light curled over the top of the figure's head and outward. So bright was the light from the face that Aaron had to avert his eyes. He could feel the elders around him doing the same. As for the figure. He did not seem to realize that his face was aglow. He halted before the gathered elders and before the Israelites waiting behind them, as if waiting for a greeting of some kind. Aaron felt obligated to speak. 00:15:30 Speaker 3: Poor approaches. 00:15:31 Speaker 2: You are not known to us. 00:15:33 Speaker 1: That gave the figure pause. He was still a ways off from the crowd. 00:15:38 Speaker 2: I think it's Moses, the glory of our Goddess, clinging to his very face mosques. Do you think I would not recognize my own brother? 00:15:47 Speaker 1: The figure interrupted Aaron's terse remarks with how sheer. 00:15:51 Speaker 3: It is I Moses, your leader. How is it you don't recognize me? It is your face It shines with great right. 00:16:01 Speaker 1: Moses then set down the stone tablets and held his hands up to his face, as if to see the glow reflected on their surface. 00:16:10 Speaker 3: It is all right, don't be afraid. I've seen our God. My face shines with his glory. 00:16:19 Speaker 1: Moses stepped forward to close the distance between them all, but the elders and people shrank back in fear. They were still apprehensive to be so near to this strange sight. 00:16:31 Speaker 3: Do not be afraid, I would relay the renewed coveted treaty to you. 00:16:36 Speaker 2: All. 00:16:37 Speaker 3: Come, Come, let us gather in the center of the camp, where all can hear. 00:16:43 Speaker 1: Moses approached the people, and though he assured them, they still gave him a wide berth as he walked among them. Ho Sheer alone confidently strode in his wake. As they made their way to the center of camp, Aaron overheard Moses ask Kosh to fetch him a veil. Moses relaid the renewed covenant, as he said he would do. He then told them the name of their God. He only told them once. Hoshier's body thrummed with recognition. It was the word he heard in the tent, the word that reminded him of life itself. That was their God's true name. Hosier was amazed. So glorious and reverent was the name that Moses deemed that it was not to be spoken or used lightly, For their God was more mighty than an earthly king, and even their true names were similarly used sparingly. From that day forward, they would commonly refer to their God as the Lord or just God, to remind themselves of the distance there was between themselves and their God. This was how they would show reverence and respect the true name. This prey dot com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Schllabager, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People, Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, 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 bag 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 Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.