# 6 - Noah & The Ark - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein we delve into the powerful story of Noah and the Ark, exploring themes of divine judgment, mercy, and the hope found in God's promises. Witness how Noah's faith amidst a world of corruption becomes a beacon of salvation and a symbol of God's enduring grace.
Episode 6 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Psalm 91:2, “I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Listen to some of the greatest Bible stories ever told and make prayer a priority in your life by downloading the Pray.com app.
Show Notes:
(02:04) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:39) Cinematic Retelling
(21:04) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. The earth was still young,
00:00:06
Speaker 1: and humanity multiplied from within small families and stretched outward. Came,
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Speaker 1: driven by a restless ambition, ventured further east, carving a
00:00:16
Speaker 1: name for himself in the annals of history. His progeny,
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Speaker 1: a dark brood, sowed the seeds of destruction, chaos, and pride,
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Speaker 1: marring God's creation with their deeds. Seth, however, chose a
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Speaker 1: different path, one laden with the weight of redemption. Amidst
00:00:35
Speaker 1: these clashing legacies, Enoch walked a righteous man, navigating the
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Speaker 1: perilous expanse.
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Speaker 2: This earth has been corrupted medie.
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Speaker 3: It's been tainted, not just by the giants, but by
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Speaker 3: the darkness that's spread in the hearts of men. I
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Speaker 3: fear the Creator won't endure this evil much longer.
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Speaker 4: Why is that.
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Speaker 3: Evil grieves his heart? This corruption, this violence, It wasn't
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Speaker 3: his intention.
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Speaker 1: Enoch left the earth, and now it was Methuselah's turn
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Speaker 1: to carry the torch of God's promise.
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Speaker 5: My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he
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Speaker 5: is flesh. A hundred and twenty years is what they
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Speaker 5: will have left. I will blot out Man from the
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Speaker 5: face of the land, for I am sorry that I
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Speaker 5: have made them.
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Speaker 1: When Matthuselah passed, Noah was the last to honor the creator.
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Speaker 1: A solitary light in a dark world. A storm was coming,
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Speaker 1: the purifying and terrifying work of God was at hand.
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Speaker 1: Yet in the midst of it all, hope still remained.
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Speaker 1: It flickered like a faint light carried carefully by Noah.
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Speaker 1: Perhaps we will endure the judgment to come.
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Speaker 6: As darkness spreads across the earth, one man's faith sparks
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Speaker 6: the dawn of a new hope. Shallow my friends from
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Speaker 6: here in the holy Land of Israel. I'm the l
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Speaker 6: Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and
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Speaker 6: this is the chosen people. As we continue the story
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Speaker 6: of Israel, we'll discover what it means to live a
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Speaker 6: life of purpose and find the calling that God has
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Speaker 6: for each of us. God chose the nation of Israel.
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Speaker 6: I'm Mount Sinai. But through their story we'll discover one
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Speaker 6: abiding truth that we are all chosen for something great. Now,
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Speaker 6: let's begin. No matter our age, gender, or political persuasion,
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Speaker 6: we all sense a profound truth deep within us that
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Speaker 6: something is not right. We look around and we see
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Speaker 6: a broken world, a world marred by violence and destruction,
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Speaker 6: a world filled with pain and suffering. Today we'll step
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Speaker 6: into an ancient biblical world that mirrors our modern reality,
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Speaker 6: a world corrupted beyond repair, a broken world that echoes
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Speaker 6: our current struggles. But in this story straight from Genesis six,
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Speaker 6: we also glimpse God's surprising plan for redemption. Let's dive
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Speaker 6: right in and discover together the hope that only He
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Speaker 6: can provide.
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Speaker 7: Tack Where's Jaffeth?
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Speaker 2: I'll get broken.
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Speaker 1: Father and instincts to Gova, he said under a wooden
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Speaker 1: being unbolted under the archway leading out of the city.
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Speaker 1: The sound of the cackling men grew louder from behind,
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Speaker 1: a dreadful cause.
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Speaker 4: To his escape.
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Speaker 1: Ham obeyed his brother's command and did not look back,
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Speaker 1: though he could hear the sickening sound of fists striking flesh.
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Speaker 1: Shem sacrifice echoed in Ham's ears, driving him forward. Tears
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Speaker 1: streamed down his face, evaporating almost as soon.
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Speaker 4: As they fell.
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Speaker 1: Their father had warm berth about lingering in the city.
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Speaker 1: Hem ran like a hunter deer, his feet barely touching
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Speaker 1: the ground as he crossed the grass and larns and leaped.
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Speaker 7: On her brooks.
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Speaker 1: His father's farm lay beyond the city, nestled in the
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Speaker 1: protective embrace of twin mountains. Smoke curled from the chimney.
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Speaker 1: A beacon of warmth and safety, ham burst through the door,
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Speaker 1: collapsing in front of the dusty hearth.
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Speaker 8: Father Shem and Jaffet had been captured by the men
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Speaker 8: of the city.
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Speaker 2: We only went because do you know which part of
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Speaker 2: the city?
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Speaker 8: Yes, the south entrance in the towner's district.
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Speaker 2: Come with me.
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Speaker 1: Noah retrieved a bow and arrow, slung it over his shoulder.
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Speaker 1: He darted toward the city, saying little to his youngest
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Speaker 1: son as he paced behind him. Noah had repeatedly warned
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Speaker 1: his sons about the city's dangers. It was a den
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Speaker 1: of iniquity. The city's corruption was pervasive, and violence slurked
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Speaker 1: in every shadow. At times, it was a necessary task,
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Speaker 1: since most precious materials were hoarded there, but Noah had
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Speaker 1: strictly warned them not to linger. Blood Lust corrupted every
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Speaker 1: inch of the city. If he remained too long, it
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Speaker 1: was only a matter of time before a passing glance
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Speaker 1: or nod of the head would earn you a spear
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Speaker 1: through the throat or worse, the surrounding villages weren't much
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Speaker 1: safer either. Mankind was blighted by bloodshed and discord. Noah
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Speaker 1: was determined to oppose the culture. Like his great grandfather Enoch,
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Speaker 1: Noah possessed a heart attuned to God's voice. He wore
00:06:00
Speaker 1: with him daily as one would with a friend. It
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Speaker 1: was a lost art, hearkening back to the ancient days.
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Speaker 1: In the Great Garden, Noah and Ham reached the south entrance.
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Speaker 1: Noah briskly strode around a jagged wooden totem and crouched down.
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Speaker 1: Ham remained his shadow, mimicking every move. Ham could feel
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Speaker 1: his father's steady breaths. Neither panicked nor frustrated, Ham, ashamed
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Speaker 1: at his own stress, pointed to the large building made
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Speaker 1: of bone and wood.
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Speaker 8: They should be in there. I swear, father, we didn't
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Speaker 8: do anything wrong. I wanted to buy a carving knife,
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Speaker 8: but didn't realize what a harsh man the tenor was.
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Speaker 8: He said, our hides would make him more than the
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Speaker 8: Southern gazelles.
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Speaker 2: These people fall further into darkness each day. They've become
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Speaker 2: more like animals in humans. Your mistake was staying in
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Speaker 2: the den too long.
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Speaker 1: Noah was not a violent man. He was not corrupted
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Speaker 1: by the same evil that blighted the others. His bow
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Speaker 1: was for moments like these, and these alone. Noah removed
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Speaker 1: his bow, placed an arrow on the string, and stretched
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Speaker 1: it backward. His arms flexed in place, perfectly still. His
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Speaker 1: breath was steady as the rivers flow. He surveyed the
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Speaker 1: scene through the arrow's shaft, marking the men by the
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Speaker 1: rear entrance and the livestock pen nearby. A large water
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Speaker 1: basin stood beside the pen. Noah breathed sharply, then released
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Speaker 1: the arrow with an exhile. It whistled through the air,
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Speaker 1: striking one of the thin legs underneath. The basin tumbled
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Speaker 1: with a loud crash and spread water over the livestock
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Speaker 1: and causing a panic. The men rushed to the scene,
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Speaker 1: leaving the rear entrance unguarded. Now, Noah and Ham darted
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Speaker 1: toward the back entrance. Noah's legs were lean and muscular,
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Speaker 1: easily kicking down the door. Shem was tied up, face swollen,
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Speaker 1: and bloodied from several beatings. Jefforth was in better shape,
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Speaker 1: supposedly because the tanner wanted him unblemished. They swiftly removed
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Speaker 1: their vines and helped them out. The four rushed out,
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Speaker 1: nearly unnoticed until a voice catted from behind.
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Speaker 7: Is that the hermit farmer and Noah here in the city.
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Speaker 7: What a rare sight this is?
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Speaker 1: Noah and his sons were cut off by some large men.
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Speaker 1: Their ridged brows and serpent like eyes gave away their heritage.
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Speaker 1: These men were descendants of the Nephelum. One struck more
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Speaker 1: on the jaw, sending him back into the mud. The
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Speaker 1: tanner skulked closer and grabbed Noah by the hair.
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Speaker 7: If I'd known these were your boys, I would have
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Speaker 7: prepared them over a fire to enjoy between bread.
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Speaker 2: Let the boys go, or.
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Speaker 4: What son of Seth? What will you do to me?
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Speaker 4: Will you shoot me with your tiny twigs? Nah?
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Speaker 7: I know you don't have it in ya. You wouldn't
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Speaker 7: swat a fly.
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Speaker 1: The tanner removed Noah's bow and slapped it over his leg.
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Speaker 1: The beastly man laughed and wiped his nose.
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Speaker 7: Your boys don't know how business' is done here. You
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Speaker 7: should have taught them right.
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Speaker 1: You know.
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Speaker 7: Maybe I'll keep the youngest raisin myself.
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Speaker 1: He seized Ham's jaw, his rotten teeth bed in a smile.
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Speaker 1: Noah's eyes remained steady, his palms outstretched.
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Speaker 2: Let's negotiate and find a path to peace. Hey, we've
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Speaker 2: crops we've cultivated. How about three years of grain for
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Speaker 2: the trouble?
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Speaker 7: Why get three ears when I could have three fine
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Speaker 7: young men working my shop for Maybe I'll kill you,
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Speaker 7: take them and go back for your wife and land.
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Speaker 1: The Tanner's grin widened. He pressed a blade to Noah's throat,
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Speaker 1: but a distant drumbeat stilled his hand. The Tanner's smile
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Speaker 1: faded as the drums grew louder, accompanied by bestial screams.
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Speaker 1: The sounds intensified, causing the Tanner and his companions to
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Speaker 1: shake in fear. The Tanner lowered his blade and ran
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Speaker 1: back into his home. No One and his sons turned
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Speaker 1: to run, but the gates burst over the split in
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Speaker 1: a hundred directions, revealing warriors from Caine's line, Ferrell and
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Speaker 1: Bloodthirsty come to murder and plunder. Their weapons were crudely crafted,
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Speaker 1: not for noble battle.
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Speaker 4: But for torture.
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Speaker 1: Some were swords with jagged tips, others with clubs with
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Speaker 1: barbed hedges.
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Speaker 4: Some came with neds and others with nothing.
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Speaker 1: Naked and giant cracked the skulls and bows unfortunate enough
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Speaker 1: to cross their path. Noah and the boys hid behind
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Speaker 1: the fallen water basin. Hand trembled in place, tears silently
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Speaker 1: falling from his shaking cheeks. Noah turned and gave him
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Speaker 1: a reassuring squeeze on the.
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Speaker 4: Arm, Trusting God, we will find a way.
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Speaker 1: Father look Shem pointed to a reservoir beside the gate.
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Speaker 1: The pool was filled from a small opening in the wall,
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Speaker 1: allowing water from the brook to flow freely in. Noah
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Speaker 1: nodded in approval and signaled for the boys to hold.
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Speaker 1: They waited until the last of the men stormed the city.
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Speaker 1: They were all unhinged, like rabid dogs, people slaughtered for sport,
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Speaker 1: violence for the sake of violence. They lived in a
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Speaker 1: truly fallen world, a world of despair. When it seemed
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Speaker 1: like they were all occupied, Noah charged his sons to run.
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Speaker 1: They flew to the reservoir and dove in, then swam
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Speaker 1: through the small opening leading to the other side of
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Speaker 1: the gate. Noah waited for all his sons to dive
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Speaker 1: in before bolting his legs were worn from years of farming,
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Speaker 1: but still strong enough to pound through the mud. He
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Speaker 1: dove into the water, but before reaching the opening, he
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Speaker 1: was pulled out by the ankle. A man threw him
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Speaker 1: backward and pressed his thumbs on Noah's neck. His hands
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Speaker 1: were thick, like the paws of a bear. Noah feared
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Speaker 1: he wouldn't escape them. He reached for a stick, a stone,
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Speaker 1: anything to use against the man, but his fists were
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Speaker 1: empty and weakening. His vision blurred at the edges, and
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Speaker 1: his head throbbed from the lack of oxygen. Before succumbing
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Speaker 1: to the man's grip, he was struck on the side
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Speaker 1: of the head. Chafforth had returned for him.
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Speaker 4: Come on, father up.
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Speaker 1: Jaffith lifted Noah. The two stumbled into the water and
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Speaker 1: swam through the hole and out the other side. Sher
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Speaker 1: and Ham were already running, arrows and stones whistling part them.
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Speaker 1: They escaped into the wilderness, bruised but alive, the shadow
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Speaker 1: of the city left behind. Shem and Jaffath stared blankly
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Speaker 1: into the crackling fire. Their mother pressed a damp cloth
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Speaker 1: to their bloody cheeks, her touch tender yet firm. Sheny
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Speaker 1: minced and pulled away, while Jaffath remained still, his eyes unfocused.
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Speaker 9: How many times has your father warned you about bartering
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Speaker 9: in the city without him? Whose idea was it?
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Speaker 1: Shem and Jafforth's eyes shifted to Ham, then quickly back
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Speaker 1: to the fire, betraying their guilt.
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Speaker 9: Ham. You three are men ready to marry and start
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Speaker 9: your own families. Think about your responsibility to the future
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Speaker 9: next time you think about something so foolish. Yes, mother,
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Speaker 9: Tomorrow we head west to our relatives beyond the Tashar.
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Speaker 9: You will meet your future wives. Do not mention any
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Speaker 9: of this recklessness when we go. Do you all understand?
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Speaker 1: The boys all nodded with weary faces. Noah entered his steps,
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Speaker 1: heavy with fatigue. His voice, though gruff, carried an earnestness,
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Speaker 1: a commanded attention.
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Speaker 4: These are dark times, my sons.
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Speaker 2: Remaining in the light will require wisdom.
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Speaker 4: Learn to listen to the voice of God.
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Speaker 9: Noah, come here, let me look at you.
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Speaker 10: No, No, I'm fine. I'm going to walk with the Creator.
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Speaker 10: I will be back before dawn.
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Speaker 1: Wrapping himself in thick fur, Noah stepped into the frigid night.
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Speaker 1: The evening mist illuminated by the moonlight hovered over the
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Speaker 1: valley like a specter. Noah ascended a small hill, his
00:15:02
Speaker 1: mind turning to the Creator. He spoke of his sons,
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Speaker 1: the city, and the pervasive wickedness that plagued the sons
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Speaker 1: of Adam.
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Speaker 4: What kind of world are my son's inheriting.
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Speaker 2: I fear they'll be forced to become men of bloodshed
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Speaker 2: just to survive.
00:15:20
Speaker 1: The grass underfoot swayed slightly. The mist followed. Noah drew
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Speaker 1: a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had practiced
00:15:29
Speaker 1: the art of listening. He knew the Creator was about
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Speaker 1: to speak. He could feel his presence in and around him.
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Speaker 5: The earth is filled with violence and corruption. I will
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Speaker 5: endure it no longer.
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Speaker 4: What does that mean?
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Speaker 5: I have determined to make an end to all flesh.
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Speaker 1: Visions assailed Noah's mind, corrupt cities built by the Nephelum, war,
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Speaker 1: senseless violence, and despair. Then he saw the heavens open,
00:16:03
Speaker 1: and a cascade of water fell from the skies through
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Speaker 1: the roaring thunder.
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Speaker 5: God's voice boomed, Behold, I would destroy them with the earth.
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Speaker 5: I would bring a flood to wipe this earth clean.
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Speaker 5: All flesh shall drown, and the breath of life under
00:16:24
Speaker 5: heaven will cease.
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Speaker 1: Noah's heart tightened. He fell to his knees, the weight
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Speaker 1: of God's words pressing down on him.
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Speaker 2: What am I to do with this knowledge? Do I
00:16:36
Speaker 2: wait in silence for it to happen? Oh, rush my
00:16:40
Speaker 2: family to the mountains.
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Speaker 5: You have found favor in my sight. You walk with me,
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Speaker 5: speak with me, and have kept yourself from the wickedness
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Speaker 5: lighting humanity. I have appointed you, Noah, to build an
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Speaker 5: ark an ark. I will establish my covenant with you. Noah,
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Speaker 5: you shall build a vessel of salvation for you, your wife,
00:17:06
Speaker 5: your sons, and their wives.
00:17:09
Speaker 4: What of the others? What are the animals?
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Speaker 5: Two of every living thing shall accompany you, one male
00:17:17
Speaker 5: and one female. I shall charge you as their steward.
00:17:23
Speaker 5: You will keep them alive until the time has come
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Speaker 5: to walk the earth again.
00:17:28
Speaker 4: How much time do we have go?
00:17:30
Speaker 5: When the sun rises, take your sons and begin the
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Speaker 5: waters are coming.
00:17:38
Speaker 1: The divine presence shifted with the wind, leaving Noah alone
00:17:42
Speaker 1: on the hill. He gazed eastward, where the distant city's
00:17:47
Speaker 1: light shimmered dimly through the fog. Tears glistened in his eyes.
00:17:52
Speaker 1: His jaw quivered, then his shoulders, and finally his knees.
00:17:57
Speaker 1: Noah fell to the ground and wept, grip the damp
00:18:00
Speaker 1: earth in his palms. The knowledge of God's will was
00:18:04
Speaker 1: just and true, but it did nothing to numb the
00:18:07
Speaker 1: pain in Noah's heart. Noah sobbed, knowing he was about
00:18:13
Speaker 1: to witness the destruction of the world. Ham slammed his
00:18:20
Speaker 1: shoulder into the side of a cedar tree. He'd been
00:18:23
Speaker 1: hacking away at it for over an hour, and all
00:18:26
Speaker 1: it needed was some applied force. Ham was glad to
00:18:29
Speaker 1: let out some aggression. Months of hard labor war on him.
00:18:34
Speaker 1: His first days as a married man were spent chopping
00:18:37
Speaker 1: wood and laying pitch, all because his father claimed to
00:18:41
Speaker 1: hear something from God. The whole thing seemed inconceivable and
00:18:45
Speaker 1: far fetched. Shem approached with the saw to make the
00:18:49
Speaker 1: tree into gopher wood.
00:18:51
Speaker 5: Well done, Ham ready to smooth it out.
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Speaker 8: Ah, I suppose what's wrong. We're building a ship in
00:18:59
Speaker 8: the middle of the valley. Shem. That's what's wrong. Everyone
00:19:03
Speaker 8: from here to the desert has visited to mock us,
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Speaker 8: and I don't blame them. This is insane. How are
00:19:09
Speaker 8: these plains going to flood? Where will the water even
00:19:12
Speaker 8: come from.
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Speaker 2: I don't quite understand it either, but I have little
00:19:16
Speaker 2: reason to doubt our father.
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Speaker 8: What a first born thing to say.
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Speaker 1: Shem and Ham stared at each other intensely for a moment,
00:19:24
Speaker 1: but their stairs quickly broke into brotherly smiles. Ham shook
00:19:28
Speaker 1: his head and sighed.
00:19:30
Speaker 8: I'm tired, hungry, and feel foolish, but I'm here that
00:19:37
Speaker 8: you are.
00:19:38
Speaker 1: Shem ruffled Han's hair, earning a playful punch on the
00:19:41
Speaker 1: shoulder in return. Together they smoothed out the beam and
00:19:45
Speaker 1: carried it to Noah and Jaffath, who were deep in
00:19:48
Speaker 1: discussion about the Ox construction.
00:19:51
Speaker 2: Once all the gopher wood has been smoothed out and measured,
00:19:54
Speaker 2: we'll begin making the rooms. The outside will be covered
00:19:59
Speaker 2: with pitch. Remind me the dimensions again. God has shown
00:20:03
Speaker 2: it all to me. Three hundred cubits in length, fifty
00:20:07
Speaker 2: cubits wide. Its height will be thirty cubits. The roof
00:20:12
Speaker 2: will be finished to a cubit above. It will be
00:20:17
Speaker 2: made with three separate decks. We'll organize the animals accordingly.
00:20:23
Speaker 2: The door need to be much higher to be above
00:20:25
Speaker 2: the water, but it also needs to be drawn down
00:20:28
Speaker 2: so we can still enter precisely, sir, Yes, what about
00:20:33
Speaker 2: food storage? The animal's food will be stored in the bottom.
00:20:38
Speaker 2: Ours will be stored beside our quarters.
00:20:41
Speaker 1: They looked up, charcoal clouds galloped across the sky. With
00:20:47
Speaker 1: them came a chilly wind that bit their cheeks. They
00:20:51
Speaker 1: hadn't heard the cabin of thunder before. The sound made
00:20:55
Speaker 1: their muscles tense, as if they were witnessing the birth
00:20:58
Speaker 1: of a new predator and soul.
00:21:03
Speaker 2: It begins.
00:21:07
Speaker 6: Wow, what a dark story. We often see Noah's story
00:21:11
Speaker 6: as a Sunday school tale, happy animals, bright rainbows, and
00:21:15
Speaker 6: a jolly bearded grandfatherly Noah a holy zoo keeper. But
00:21:20
Speaker 6: we forget that the story of Noah is one of
00:21:23
Speaker 6: the most harrowing stories in the whole Bible. This isn't
00:21:27
Speaker 6: just a children's story. It's a biblical narrative of God's
00:21:31
Speaker 6: divine justice and his loving mercy. The Bible reads like this,
00:21:38
Speaker 6: The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human
00:21:41
Speaker 6: race had become on the earth, and that every inclination
00:21:45
Speaker 6: of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil.
00:21:48
Speaker 6: All the time, God's heart was deeply troubled by the
00:21:53
Speaker 6: state of humanity. Don't you think he grieved over his
00:21:58
Speaker 6: creation that has become what he says, only evil all
00:22:03
Speaker 6: the time. So the Lord said, straight from scriptures, I
00:22:09
Speaker 6: will wipe from the face of the earth the human
00:22:12
Speaker 6: race I have created, for I regret that I have
00:22:15
Speaker 6: made them. This isn't the part of Noah's story that
00:22:19
Speaker 6: we like to dwell on, is it. It's not very
00:22:22
Speaker 6: Sunday school. And that's because it's not. It's not very
00:22:28
Speaker 6: comfortable or nice to hear. The story of Noah isn't
00:22:32
Speaker 6: just about animals and rainbows. It's about God's response to
00:22:36
Speaker 6: pervasive human evil. It's a sobering reminder of the consequences
00:22:42
Speaker 6: of sin and the seriousness with which God views it.
00:22:46
Speaker 6: And yet in the midst of this there is hope,
00:22:53
Speaker 6: as we say in Hebrew tik Va. Where do we
00:22:57
Speaker 6: see this hope? The arc a vessel of grace in
00:23:02
Speaker 6: a sea of death, and among the deadly waves. Noah's
00:23:07
Speaker 6: faith saved his family and through them all humanity. The
00:23:13
Speaker 6: story begins with Noah. The Bible tells us that Noah
00:23:18
Speaker 6: found favor in the eyes of the Lord. As we
00:23:22
Speaker 6: say in Hebrew humatsachen in nea hashim. Why it says
00:23:29
Speaker 6: in the scriptures because Noah was a righteous man, blameless
00:23:34
Speaker 6: among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully
00:23:39
Speaker 6: with God. Our sage is focus on one line from
00:23:43
Speaker 6: this verse Genesis, chapter six, verse nine, that Noah was
00:23:47
Speaker 6: blameless among the people of his time. Yes, indeed, Noah
00:23:52
Speaker 6: was righteous, but only among the people of his time.
00:23:58
Speaker 6: Our traditions seasoned this verse that Noah had one major fault.
00:24:03
Speaker 6: You see, when God announces to Noah that he plans
00:24:06
Speaker 6: to bring a flood to destroy the world, we do
00:24:09
Speaker 6: not hear one word from Noah, especially pointing out we
00:24:15
Speaker 6: don't see that Noah prayed for the people, even the
00:24:18
Speaker 6: wicked people of his world. He accepted God's word, which
00:24:24
Speaker 6: is righteous, but he did not beg God to have
00:24:27
Speaker 6: mercy and not bring the flood. And that was a lacking.
00:24:33
Speaker 6: And so we see Noah was not a perfect person,
00:24:37
Speaker 6: and we know that none of us are perfect. But
00:24:42
Speaker 6: we can learn from what Noah didn't do. And this
00:24:46
Speaker 6: is what he didn't do. He didn't pray, but especially
00:24:53
Speaker 6: let's be very specific, he didn't pray for the people
00:24:57
Speaker 6: of his world. Yes, they were evil, but still Noah
00:25:04
Speaker 6: should have prayed for them. We all know people who
00:25:07
Speaker 6: might not be the best of people, sometimes among our
00:25:10
Speaker 6: friends or even our families. But we still need to
00:25:14
Speaker 6: care about these people, and we need to pray for them,
00:25:17
Speaker 6: and if they need help, we need to help them.
00:25:21
Speaker 6: Doing what Noah didn't do can make us better people
00:25:25
Speaker 6: in front of God and in front of each other.
00:25:28
Speaker 6: We study these scriptures so that we can learn from
00:25:32
Speaker 6: the biblical characters how to be holy and how to
00:25:38
Speaker 6: learn from their mistakes. At the International Fellowship of Christians
00:25:42
Speaker 6: and Jews, an organization that I lead, this is exactly
00:25:45
Speaker 6: what we do. We learned from the scriptures that we
00:25:49
Speaker 6: need to help people who are in need, and so indeed,
00:25:53
Speaker 6: at the Fellowship we help anyone who needs help and
00:25:57
Speaker 6: we pray for them. We not only have life saving
00:26:00
Speaker 6: programs to bring food and medicine, but we also have
00:26:03
Speaker 6: prayer at the wall campaigns where we pray both for
00:26:06
Speaker 6: our donors and our recipients. You see, when we study
00:26:11
Speaker 6: the story of Noah, we can see that God's definition
00:26:16
Speaker 6: of right and wrong here was objective, just as his
00:26:21
Speaker 6: judgment was not arbitrary. God was responding to a world
00:26:25
Speaker 6: gone horribly wrong. But even in judgment that was just,
00:26:30
Speaker 6: he provided a way of salvation, and he did so
00:26:34
Speaker 6: through Noah, because Noah was a beacon of light and
00:26:38
Speaker 6: life in this dark, decaying world. We are inspired by Noah.
00:26:46
Speaker 6: He walked faithfully with God, and we see that it's
00:26:51
Speaker 6: his righteousness and this evil generation which set him apart.
00:26:56
Speaker 6: God's judgment was severe on that generation, but it wasn't
00:27:00
Speaker 6: without purpose or hope, and his judgment wasn't enacted lightly.
00:27:06
Speaker 6: But humanity didn't listen. And so the flood was God's
00:27:10
Speaker 6: reset for a world that had been corrupted to its core.
00:27:14
Speaker 6: The flood was both an end and a beginning. It
00:27:19
Speaker 6: was an end to the rampant corruption and a beginning
00:27:22
Speaker 6: of a renewed creation through Noah's obedience and a vow
00:27:28
Speaker 6: that God made that he will never again destroy the world. So,
00:27:34
Speaker 6: while the story of Noah often gets softened into a
00:27:37
Speaker 6: children's tale, its true essence is a powerful narrative of
00:27:41
Speaker 6: judgment and grace that's very relevant to adults alike. This
00:27:46
Speaker 6: brings us to a question that many people have asked
00:27:49
Speaker 6: when they read the story of Noah. Why was God's
00:27:53
Speaker 6: judgment so harsh? This story raises all sorts of ethical
00:27:59
Speaker 6: and more implications that are difficult for our modern minds
00:28:03
Speaker 6: to comprehend. And this is actually a very good thing.
00:28:07
Speaker 6: It's a sign that God has embedded in his followers
00:28:10
Speaker 6: in people of faith like you and me, of value
00:28:14
Speaker 6: and a sanctity for human life and a desire for
00:28:18
Speaker 6: humanity to flourish. So it seems almost out of character
00:28:23
Speaker 6: for God to destroy humanity as he planned. But let's
00:28:28
Speaker 6: stick deeper. Even in this moment of intense judgment, God
00:28:35
Speaker 6: looked to a future where there will be a rescuer,
00:28:39
Speaker 6: a redeemer. Both Jews and Christians believe in Mashiah, in Messiah.
00:28:47
Speaker 6: To shed some light on the Christian symbolism of the
00:28:50
Speaker 6: arc of the Teva is our friend, Bishop paulineer.
00:28:56
Speaker 11: Ah, Yes, El, you are so right. Our spirits are longing,
00:29:03
Speaker 11: and the scriptures are continuously pointing us to Mosiah or
00:29:08
Speaker 11: the Messiah, or the crystals the Christ. And why are
00:29:12
Speaker 11: we so desperate for deliverance? Why are we so desperate
00:29:16
Speaker 11: for the deliverer? It's because we look around, and as
00:29:22
Speaker 11: far back as Cain we learned that when a people
00:29:27
Speaker 11: refuse submission unto God, we inevitably insist upon subjugation against
00:29:35
Speaker 11: the people of God. Whether it's a Babylon or an Assyria,
00:29:42
Speaker 11: or a Rome, or an England, or a France or
00:29:46
Speaker 11: a Spain in fourteen ninety two, or the Holocaust or
00:29:51
Speaker 11: October the seventh time, and again we find it Cain
00:29:57
Speaker 11: and able rise up in us, oh and over. You know,
00:30:01
Speaker 11: there's a verse in the Christian scriptures where Jesus says,
00:30:05
Speaker 11: with God, all things are possible, so beautiful. But I
00:30:10
Speaker 11: would submit to you as well that without God all
00:30:16
Speaker 11: things are possible. And again I say to you, Cain
00:30:21
Speaker 11: and abile continue to rise up in the midst of us.
00:30:25
Speaker 11: But thanks be to God Heaven hears Abel's blood. And
00:30:33
Speaker 11: then we get to this Genesis six, with this man
00:30:37
Speaker 11: by the name of Noah. No even means favor or
00:30:42
Speaker 11: the grace of God, and he found grace in God.
00:30:47
Speaker 11: It moves me when I even say his name rest.
00:30:50
Speaker 11: There was no time for him to rest. There's nothing
00:30:53
Speaker 11: that indicates remotely he even rested. He's spending more than
00:30:57
Speaker 11: a century building a boat, and then he's in that
00:31:00
Speaker 11: boat when the cataclysmic storm arises. But still he was
00:31:05
Speaker 11: kept and sustained, protected by the hand of God, who
00:31:10
Speaker 11: loses nothing and no one.
00:31:15
Speaker 7: But why this arc. Why this boat.
00:31:20
Speaker 11: It's because yet again, as humanity began to rise, so
00:31:25
Speaker 11: did confusion and chaos and wickedness and lawlessness and imaginations
00:31:33
Speaker 11: and bizarre, peculiar, obscene absurdities that just give rise to revolutions,
00:31:44
Speaker 11: these cataclysmic, catastrophic uprisings of persons and people's determined to
00:31:52
Speaker 11: own and to rule and terragn where there's a French
00:31:57
Speaker 11: Revolution where Napoleon subjugates and kills millions determined to possess
00:32:05
Speaker 11: the earth, or Russian Revolution where there's a Stalin who
00:32:09
Speaker 11: kills millions of the Chinese Revolution probably thirty million, And
00:32:15
Speaker 11: here we are, in such a moment of revolution, crises culture.
00:32:22
Speaker 11: God says to his Noah, I'm going to remove the
00:32:27
Speaker 11: people from the earth with the earth. I'm going to
00:32:30
Speaker 11: destroy the world with the earth itself. And as God
00:32:38
Speaker 11: later instructed Moses how to build the tent the tabernacle,
00:32:43
Speaker 11: so this divine architect instructs Noah how to build the boat.
00:32:48
Speaker 11: And I'm convinced that if this contractant Noah had varied
00:32:54
Speaker 11: one inch, that boat would have suck. The people would
00:32:58
Speaker 11: have died, the plan.
00:33:00
Speaker 4: Would have failed.
00:33:02
Speaker 11: Lord, touch your people. Now, remind us no matter the storms,
00:33:06
Speaker 11: the crises, the darkness. You are the covenant God who
00:33:12
Speaker 11: keeps your covenant people.
00:33:16
Speaker 6: Amen, Let's go back to the beginning. The beginning where
00:33:21
Speaker 6: Adam and Eve walked in the garden, surrounded by trees
00:33:24
Speaker 6: and animals, tuck safely in the presence of God. The ark,
00:33:28
Speaker 6: the teva is made from trees, It's filled with animals
00:33:32
Speaker 6: and is preserved by God. The arc is a floating eden.
00:33:37
Speaker 6: It's a symbol of God's protection and restoration in the
00:33:41
Speaker 6: middle of a broken world. And so, my friends, today
00:33:45
Speaker 6: you may feel broken, you may feel hopeless in the
00:33:48
Speaker 6: face of a corrupt world. You may feel like you're
00:33:50
Speaker 6: being tossed in a storm. But have hope. That word,
00:33:55
Speaker 6: that Hebrew word I taught you in the beginning of
00:33:58
Speaker 6: this podcast, tik Va. Have tik va, my friends, Our
00:34:03
Speaker 6: loving God is there for you, to protect you, to
00:34:07
Speaker 6: restore you, to provide you with his shaloon, with his peace.
00:34:13
Speaker 6: Today I pray that He will be your refuge and
00:34:16
Speaker 6: provide you shelter. And as always, I leave you with
00:34:20
Speaker 6: this blessing from numbers six yev re Hashem vish morehra
00:34:27
Speaker 6: yah heer hashempanave lera ver ye sa hashempanave.
00:34:33
Speaker 1: Shaloon.
00:34:34
Speaker 6: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the
00:34:37
Speaker 6: Lord make his face shine upon you. May the Lord
00:34:41
Speaker 6: be gracious to you, and may the Lord turn his
00:34:44
Speaker 6: face towards you and give you shaloon. Give you peace
00:34:49
Speaker 6: with blessings from the Holy Land. This is your l Extein,
00:34:53
Speaker 6: and you are listening to the Chosen People.
00:34:59
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
00:35:02
Speaker 1: ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
00:35:05
Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only
00:35:10
Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
00:35:14
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
00:35:18
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yil Eckstein, edited by
00:35:22
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
00:35:27
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
00:35:32
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
00:35:36
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
00:35:40
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
00:35:45
Speaker 1: Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
00:35:50
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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