# 1 - The Beginning - In this inaugural episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein we journey back to the very beginning, exploring the creation story in Genesis 1. Discover the divine power behind the cosmos and the intentional love that crafted humanity, setting the stage for a grand narrative of purpose, redemption, and hope.
Episode 1 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 Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”
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Show Notes:
(10:40) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(13:10) The Beginning - Cinematic Retelling
(23:15) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1: Faster. Six hundred chariots churned up dust and stone behind
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh and his armies. They rode with hardened rage deep
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Speaker 1: in their stomachs. The air was thick with the scent
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Speaker 1: of iron and hatred. Pharaoh's scepter rose above his head,
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Speaker 1: poised to strike the first Hebrew he saw.
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Speaker 2: I am eh God, I am Lord of the oil,
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Speaker 2: heavy traveler.
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Speaker 3: I.
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Speaker 1: Suddenly the heavens responded. The chariots were halted by a
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Speaker 1: pillar of fire falling from the sky. The heavenly inferno
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Speaker 1: raged before them with white heart intensity. The horses reared
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Speaker 1: in a panicked frenzy, and the soldiers cowered, shielding their faces.
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Speaker 1: The heat singed their brows, but Pharaoh wouldn't relent. His
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Speaker 1: fury burned just as fierce as the heavenly flames. Violent
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Speaker 1: rage dripped out of him like sweat. He knew the
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Speaker 1: Lord had challenged him, But even after all the plagues
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Speaker 1: and destruction, Pharaoh refused to bend a knee. You will
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Speaker 1: not rule over me.
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Speaker 4: If I can't hid them big, I kill him.
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Speaker 2: Dear blood shall consecrate my brain.
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Speaker 5: They will know that I am fel.
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Speaker 1: The children of Israel stood in front of the sea.
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Speaker 1: The waters churned violently, a dark and chaotic symbol of death.
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Speaker 1: Terror carved deep lines into their weary faces as they
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Speaker 1: stood paralyzed, the sounds of Pharaoh's approaching fury growing louder
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Speaker 1: behind them. They were trapped between their oppressors and the aby. Yes,
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Speaker 1: they had no way out and no way forward.
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Speaker 5: Here, you there's no way out. What are we going to?
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Speaker 5: Is this what you wanted? Moses? We have no graves
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Speaker 5: in Egypt, so you've decided to bury us out here.
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Speaker 5: You should have left us alone. Better to live as
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Speaker 5: slaves than die out here.
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Speaker 1: Moses eyes widened with similar panic, but he had to
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Speaker 1: remain calm. His gaze shifted from the menacing chariots to
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Speaker 1: the swirling chaos of the sea. He didn't know how
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Speaker 1: long the chariots would be kept at bay. They had
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Speaker 1: to act quickly.
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Speaker 5: Moses, we can't remain here. We either surrendered a pharaoh
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Speaker 5: or start running around the shoreline.
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Speaker 1: He's got must this war.
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Speaker 4: Why down now?
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Speaker 5: Are you listening to me? Surrender around the coast. We
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Speaker 5: can't remain here. We're running out of time.
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Speaker 2: Have you learned nothing here?
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Speaker 4: Remember how we got it?
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Speaker 1: Moses left his brother's side and ascended a jagged outcrop.
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Speaker 1: He looked over the flock of Israel. He saw their fear,
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Speaker 1: he felt it. He wasn't anune to terror, yet he
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Speaker 1: knew deliverance was at hand some way, somehow. Moses knew
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Speaker 1: the Lord would respond. He wouldn't have freed them from
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Speaker 1: slavery to abandon them.
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Speaker 5: Now.
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Speaker 1: The same God who rained fire from the sky and
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Speaker 1: turned the Nile to blood would not forsake them. Moses
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Speaker 1: wasn't an eloquent man, a motivator, or an orator like
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Speaker 1: his brother, but he trusted God. He wanted the children
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Speaker 1: of Israel to move with the same faith. His faith
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Speaker 1: burned like a furnace. Moses pointed toward the chariots, illuminated
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Speaker 1: by flames. Pharaoh's bloodthirsty screams resounded over the sound of
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Speaker 1: the waves and inferno. But mo Jes saw him for
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Speaker 1: who he truly was, a false God and a defeated man.
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Speaker 2: Look at them, Look at the Egyptians hungry for your flesh.
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Speaker 2: After this day you will never see them again. Stand firm,
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Speaker 2: reject the fear gripping your hearts. Stand firm and behold
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Speaker 2: the salvation of the Lord.
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Speaker 5: He will fight for you.
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Speaker 1: A mighty eastern wind blew through the canyons, churning the
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Speaker 1: water's edge. The breath of God was near. Moses looked
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Speaker 1: back at the raging sea. The waters were dark and untamed,
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Speaker 1: just as they were in the very beginning. But the
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Speaker 1: wind of God was present, the Rua, the spirit. Everything
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Speaker 1: went silent for Moses, as if he were suspended from
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Speaker 1: space and time. The clamor of the crowd faded into
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Speaker 1: a distant He gripped his staff tightly, brow furrowed with
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Speaker 1: righteous resolve. He closed his eyes, hearing the voice of
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Speaker 1: the Almighty resounding in his mind.
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Speaker 4: Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of
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Speaker 4: Israel to advance. Stretch forth your hand over the sea,
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Speaker 4: and behold my wonders. I will triumph over Pharaoh and
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Speaker 4: his armies. My glory will be revealed, and my name
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Speaker 4: will be exalted among the nations. They will know that
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Speaker 4: I am the Lord.
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Speaker 1: Moses opened his eyes, planted his foot firmly on the
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Speaker 1: rock below, and raised his staff.
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Speaker 4: The breath of.
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Speaker 1: God blew from behind his chosen people. The wind cut
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Speaker 1: through the sea like a razin, dividing the waters into
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Speaker 1: two great walls. With trial and between them. The people
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Speaker 1: fell back and beheld the red sea. Yielding to the
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Speaker 1: will of God. The voice of the Creator tamed the
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Speaker 1: dark and chaotic abyss. Moses turned his voice thundering over
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Speaker 1: the stunned, crowded. Aaron and Miriam rallied the people. Women
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Speaker 1: with children ran in first, with the men in the back.
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Speaker 1: The waters were held at bay by the breath of
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Speaker 1: the Creator, and the Chosen people ran through unharmed. They
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Speaker 1: leaped over stones and helped each other up jagged slopes.
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Speaker 1: Moses remained there with his staff held high. He looked back.
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Speaker 1: The pillar of Fire rose into a dark plume of smoke,
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Speaker 1: enveloping Pharaoh's army in darkness. The six hundred chariots burst
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Speaker 1: through with rage. Soot covered their faces, mirroring the darkness
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Speaker 1: in their hearts.
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Speaker 5: Damn God, stop for the sea, and lad with their blood.
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Speaker 1: They were the cries of a man watching his godhood
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Speaker 1: melt away under the intensity of a more extraordinary being.
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Speaker 1: Moses turned to Pharaoh, seeing the man he once knew
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Speaker 1: as a kinsman and friend. Images of their childhood flashed
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Speaker 1: in his mind. He didn't see a bloodthirsty tyrant. He
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Speaker 1: saw Ramses, the boy, the brother before the Throne, and
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Speaker 1: delusions of divinity. He was a boy playing by the stream,
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Speaker 1: pretending to be a sea monster. He had become a
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Speaker 1: monster indeed, and it broke Moses' heart. Ramses, relent you fool.
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Speaker 5: Ham Godike recD.
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Speaker 1: Moses was frozen, staring into fairs darkened eyes. Just then
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Speaker 1: an arm grabbed him from behind.
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Speaker 5: Moses, snap out of it.
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Speaker 4: You have to run.
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Speaker 1: Aaron took Moses by the arm and dragged him back.
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Speaker 1: The brothers ran down the path cut through the sea.
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Speaker 1: The MUDs slowed their pace, and the sounds of horse
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Speaker 1: hoofs and bronze wheels weren't far behind. Moses didn't look
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Speaker 1: back until he reached the other side. The chariots were
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Speaker 1: stalled from the muck of the sea's floor. Frustrated, Pharaoh
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Speaker 1: sent spears and arrows. They broke against the rocks, right
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Speaker 1: past Moses. Aaron launched himself up a stone and crawled up.
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Speaker 1: He extended his hand to Moses.
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Speaker 5: Everyone is on the other side. We have to move
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Speaker 5: before they catch up. Miriam is already taking them to
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Speaker 5: the hills.
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Speaker 2: No command them to stay.
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Speaker 5: Don't be foolish, Moses, let's flee now before it's too late.
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Speaker 5: We finally have a chance to be free.
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Speaker 2: We don't understand, Aaron, The Lord doesn't want us to
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Speaker 2: run for the rest of our lives. As long as
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Speaker 2: Pharaoh lives, we'll never be free. The Lord promised that
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Speaker 2: we'd never see them again.
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Speaker 1: Moses turned back to the chariots. Another arrow flew past him,
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Speaker 1: barely grazing his cheek. The renowned chariots of Egypt were
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Speaker 1: rendered useless in the mud. They dismounted, trudging through the
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Speaker 1: muck with spears in hand, moses jaw quivered. The mighty
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Speaker 1: armies of Egypt were about to crumble.
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Speaker 4: Stretch out your hand again, Moses. Stretch out your hand
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Speaker 4: and behold, Pharaoh will know that I am the Lord.
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Speaker 1: With an onslaught of arrows and spears flying toward him.
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Speaker 1: Moses raised his staff in the air.
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Speaker 2: You feedle the tip of my spear.
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Speaker 5: Moses, you and your.
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Speaker 2: Un name God, we'll bow at my feet on the
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Speaker 2: back for our side. He has a name, and now
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Speaker 2: all of Egypt will remember.
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Speaker 1: Moses lowered his staff and the waters fell like mountains.
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh was crushed under the weight of the sea. The
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Speaker 1: chariots splintered, the swords disappeared, and the rushing waters drowned
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Speaker 1: out their screams. The oppressors of God's Chosen People were
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Speaker 1: buried in darkness.
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Speaker 3: This is where it all begins. Darkness gives way to
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Speaker 3: light and chaos being tamed into order. The beginning of
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Speaker 3: the Bible speaks to something deeper that happens within each
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Speaker 3: of us when we read the Word of God. Shalom friends.
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Speaker 3: I'm l Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
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Speaker 3: and you're listening to the very first episode of the
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Speaker 3: Chosen People. In each episode, we'll explore a new story
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Speaker 3: from the Hebrew Bible, a story from God's Word that
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Speaker 3: will awaken our imaginations and inspire us as His Chosen People.
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Speaker 3: We'll find tales of faith, failure, love and loss, and
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Speaker 3: after each cinematic saga, join me to reflect and uncover
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Speaker 3: lessons hidden within. As we explore the biblical story of Israel,
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Speaker 3: God's people will discover what it means to live a
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Speaker 3: life of purpose today and answer the calling God has
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Speaker 3: for each of us. God chose the nation of Israel
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Speaker 3: on Mount Sinai, but through the Israelites journey we will
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Speaker 3: discover one abiding truth, that we are all chosen for
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Speaker 3: something great. So let's begin in the beginning. Genesis one.
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Speaker 3: It began with the word of God, God's words. Now
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Speaker 3: think about it. The universe, with all of his vast
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Speaker 3: complexity and beauty, starts with God speaking the words, let
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Speaker 3: there be light, or, as you say in Hebrew, via
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Speaker 3: heat or and there it was. You see, Genesis is
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Speaker 3: more than a beginning. It's an invitation, an invitation to explore,
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Speaker 3: to question, to discover not just the how of creation,
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Speaker 3: but the why of creation, not just the process, but
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Speaker 3: the meaning behind it. And so here we go. The
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Speaker 3: story begins here in the beginning, as we say in Hebrew,
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Speaker 3: bereat sheet.
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Speaker 1: Before time, before light, before man, before all things that were.
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Speaker 1: There was the i Am. He came from nothing, nor
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Speaker 1: did anything exist before him. Before the cosmos draped itself
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Speaker 1: in the glistening array of celestial lights, before the verdant
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Speaker 1: valleys cradled the mountain's tiers. There stood the i Am,
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Speaker 1: the Alohim, the uncreated one. With a whisper that fractured
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Speaker 1: the infinite dark, he commanded the heavens into being. Galaxies
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Speaker 1: were forged, and stars and planets appeared. Within one of
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Speaker 1: these galaxies. Was the Earth, tiny compared to the boundless
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Speaker 1: reach of space, yet precious in the Creator's sight. It
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Speaker 1: was formless and void, but not for long. Darkness was
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Speaker 1: over the deep and chaotic waters. Then, in the dark
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Speaker 1: and quiet mystery of an untamed world, the voice of
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Speaker 1: God spoke.
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Speaker 4: Let there be light.
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Speaker 1: It was like a song, an anthem from his voice.
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Speaker 1: Light broke through the noiseless void. The darkness was held back,
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Speaker 1: and the chaotic waters were tamed. God saw the light.
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Speaker 1: It brought the potential for life. God called the light
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Speaker 1: day and the darkness night. This was the beginning of creation.
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Speaker 1: The first day. Light would be the brush by which
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Speaker 1: God painted his mark piece. Each moment, each day was
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Speaker 1: a verse in the poem of Creation.
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Speaker 4: And it was good. May the waters below and the
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Speaker 4: waters above be separated, and may the heavens reign above.
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Speaker 1: The Creator sang to the sky. The Earth's atmosphere formed,
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Speaker 1: and the potential for life increased. God was crafting the
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Speaker 1: expanse of the heavens and Earth with a plan in mind.
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Speaker 1: This was the second day of God's masterpiece, and it
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Speaker 1: was good. Then God's voice beckoned the Earth to rise
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Speaker 1: out of the waters.
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Speaker 4: Come forth, o land, May the waters gather, and may
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Speaker 4: the earth rise.
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Speaker 1: Fire from the belly of the Earth burst forth, and
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Speaker 1: the waters cooled the molten ground. Slowly and violently, the
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Speaker 1: Earth rose. It emerged from the waters, sturdy and immovable.
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Speaker 1: God called the dry land Earth and the waters seas.
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Speaker 1: God looked upon them and declared that they were good.
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Speaker 1: The earth stretched for miles, barren empty. Now that the
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Speaker 1: Earth was set in strength, it awaited its verdant crown.
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Speaker 1: God called forth life with a gentle decree, like rain,
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Speaker 1: nourishing the parched soil, like a womb prepared for seed.
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Speaker 1: The earth received God's word.
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Speaker 4: Let the earth have life, vegetation, plants, fruits, and seeds,
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Speaker 4: each according to its kind.
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Speaker 1: And it was so. Plants sprang forth from the ground.
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Speaker 1: Trees stretched to the heavens, soaking in the sun's nourishing rays.
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Speaker 1: Wildflowers arrayed the mountain range, spreading their seeds with each
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Speaker 1: wisp of the wind. God looked upon the vibrant land
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Speaker 1: and saw that it was good. It was adorned with
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Speaker 1: color and prepared to nourish itself. This was the third day.
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Speaker 1: God whispered to the wind blowing away the clouds and
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Speaker 1: revealing the expanse of heaven above. The earth was nudged
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Speaker 1: into motion, and the stars shifted in the night sky.
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Speaker 4: Day from night, days from years, seasons from season. Let
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Speaker 4: light shine and give order to the earth.
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Speaker 1: God delicately set the Earth and every planet on its axis.
00:17:52
Speaker 1: As Creation's architect, He set it all in motion, crafting
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Speaker 1: time from the endless weave of light and darkness. The
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Speaker 1: sun was set to govern the day, and the moon
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Speaker 1: watched over the night, each a faithful witness, marking seasons
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Speaker 1: and years, days and nights. The cosmic clockwork was a
00:18:16
Speaker 1: masterpiece of divine precision. God beheld all of it and
00:18:22
Speaker 1: declared it to be good. This was the fourth Day.
00:18:29
Speaker 1: No longer brewing in chaotic rage, The waters were ready
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Speaker 1: for life.
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Speaker 4: Let living creatures spring forth from the waters, and may
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Speaker 4: the skies be adorned with birds.
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Speaker 1: The oceans teemed with life, from the tiniest plankton to
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Speaker 1: the great leviathans that guarded the deep. The skies filled
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Speaker 1: with the chorus of birds, each song a melody of
00:18:55
Speaker 1: Creation's joy. They were given breath, life, and blessing. The
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Speaker 1: Creator sang over.
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Speaker 4: Them multiply filled the seas and skies.
00:19:08
Speaker 1: This was the fifth day. God saw what he had
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Speaker 1: made and knew that it was good. The earth had
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Speaker 1: yet to welcome creatures. Beings walking with the breath of life.
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Speaker 4: Come forth, beasts, live, stock, and crawling things, each according
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Speaker 4: to its kind. Go forth and multiply.
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Speaker 1: God made the beasts of the earth. They stomped and crawled,
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Speaker 1: they howled and groaned. The earth was filled with creatures,
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Speaker 1: abiding by God's will and word to fill and multiply
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Speaker 1: the earth. The world was a tapestry of life, vibrant
00:19:52
Speaker 1: and brimming with potential. This was the fifth day. God
00:19:57
Speaker 1: looked upon all he had done and declared it good.
00:20:02
Speaker 1: At last, it was time. One thing remained for the creator.
00:20:08
Speaker 1: It was time to stamp creation with his image, bearers
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Speaker 1: of his likeness to steward the world. God the Elohim
00:20:19
Speaker 1: consulted with himself about the nature of his next masterpiece.
00:20:24
Speaker 4: Let us craft creatures in our image, imbued with our essence.
00:20:29
Speaker 4: Let us make man as an image of God to
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Speaker 4: steward the fish of the sea, birds of the air,
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Speaker 4: and creatures of the earth.
00:20:40
Speaker 1: Then out of dust, God fashioned creatures unlike any other.
00:20:47
Speaker 1: They weren't temporal animals or heavenly beings. They were something special,
00:20:53
Speaker 1: other set apart. God crafted humanity in his image. He
00:21:00
Speaker 1: created male and female expressions of his divine nature and
00:21:05
Speaker 1: will on the earth. In them was life, the breath
00:21:09
Speaker 1: of God, the spirit of wisdom and love, and the
00:21:13
Speaker 1: potential for music, art, industry, and family. The wind rolled
00:21:20
Speaker 1: over the mountains, the seas thrashed against the shores. Forests
00:21:25
Speaker 1: hummed with animated energy. It was all theirs to enjoy.
00:21:32
Speaker 4: Be fruitful, and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it.
00:21:39
Speaker 4: You will be my co rulers of this creation. Behold,
00:21:46
Speaker 4: I have given you everything necessary for life, Every plant
00:21:51
Speaker 4: and fruit of the vine, everything with the breath of
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Speaker 4: life is yours.
00:21:58
Speaker 1: God's design for human he was to bear his image,
00:22:02
Speaker 1: fill the earth, and share in the joy of creation.
00:22:06
Speaker 1: Then God rested on the seventh day, surveying his creation.
00:22:12
Speaker 1: He scanned everything from the heavens above to the depths
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Speaker 1: of the sea. He listened to the songs of birds
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Speaker 1: in the morning and the howling of wolves at night.
00:22:23
Speaker 1: He surveyed man's character and potential for life, love, and laughter.
00:22:30
Speaker 1: It wasn't good, it was perfect. Thus creation was hewn
00:22:37
Speaker 1: from the chaotic void, God the Yelohim, brought forth light
00:22:42
Speaker 1: into darkness, order into chaos, and potential into the void.
00:22:49
Speaker 1: Amid this creation, he set a garden on a high
00:22:53
Speaker 1: place where heaven and earth harmonized. On that mountain, the
00:22:59
Speaker 1: history of humanity would unfold. What God called good would
00:23:05
Speaker 1: be introduced to evil, and the story of redemptive love
00:23:10
Speaker 1: would be said in.
00:23:12
Speaker 6: Motion Genesis one, You've heard it so many times it's
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Speaker 6: almost cliche.
00:23:26
Speaker 3: Right in the beginning beret sheet, as it says in Hebrew,
00:23:30
Speaker 3: God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis one might
00:23:35
Speaker 3: seem so familiar that it almost doesn't even register anymore.
00:23:39
Speaker 3: But wait, stop and listen to this old story with
00:23:43
Speaker 3: new ears, and you'll find a deep and rich lesson,
00:23:48
Speaker 3: a new lesson that has for each of us. It's
00:23:52
Speaker 3: a story rich, deep, and overflowing with meaning. This is
00:23:56
Speaker 3: the beginning of everything. It's where we came from. This
00:24:02
Speaker 3: is where it all begins, not just for the universe,
00:24:06
Speaker 3: but for every single one of us. Consider the big
00:24:10
Speaker 3: picture of the creation story. It's not just about the
00:24:14
Speaker 3: formation of stars and the carving of rivers. It's about
00:24:17
Speaker 3: a father building his family and a king establishing his kingdom.
00:24:23
Speaker 3: Each act of creation was a deliberate, loving choice. God spoke,
00:24:29
Speaker 3: and it was so not because he needed a world,
00:24:33
Speaker 3: but because he desired a family. He was crafting a home,
00:24:38
Speaker 3: a kingdom where his children could thrive, where they could
00:24:42
Speaker 3: experience his love and his rule. This is a father
00:24:47
Speaker 3: who begins his work by setting a stage of unimaginable
00:24:51
Speaker 3: beauty and order, light separated from darkness, land from water,
00:24:57
Speaker 3: day from night. He then fills this canvas with life,
00:25:02
Speaker 3: birds to dance in the sky, fish to glide through
00:25:06
Speaker 3: the waters, animals to roam the lands, and finally, humans
00:25:11
Speaker 3: crafted in his very image, breathed into being with God's
00:25:19
Speaker 3: own breath of life. How awesome is that? Now? Think
00:25:27
Speaker 3: about that? Isn't that beautiful?
00:25:29
Speaker 6: That?
00:25:29
Speaker 3: Going all the way back to creation, we are partners
00:25:34
Speaker 3: with God and he is promising us that he will
00:25:38
Speaker 3: always be with us. In fact, just as God spoke
00:25:42
Speaker 3: to the first human even before he created him, he
00:25:47
Speaker 3: is always speaking to us and all we have to
00:25:50
Speaker 3: do is open up our heart to hear him and
00:25:54
Speaker 3: to listen. And one more insight about this verse. It
00:26:01
Speaker 3: tells us that God's intent was to create the human
00:26:03
Speaker 3: being in his image and in his likeness. Now, that
00:26:08
Speaker 3: can't mean a physical image or likeness, because God is
00:26:13
Speaker 3: not physical. So what does that really mean that we
00:26:16
Speaker 3: were created in his likeness? Well, one of the great
00:26:21
Speaker 3: Jewish commentaries on the Tourus suggests this refers to the
00:26:24
Speaker 3: unlimited potential that human beings were given by God. That
00:26:28
Speaker 3: just as God possesses vast and unlimited goodness and compassion,
00:26:32
Speaker 3: we do too. We are created in His image, we
00:26:36
Speaker 3: possess these same qualities. Of course, we can never reach
00:26:40
Speaker 3: the level of God's attributes, but we are created in
00:26:44
Speaker 3: His image, so we can certainly keep trying. Just like
00:26:49
Speaker 3: God is awesome and holy, we too are awesome and holy.
00:26:55
Speaker 3: Just as God is humble, we too must try to
00:26:59
Speaker 3: be humble. Just as God is loving, we too must
00:27:04
Speaker 3: try to be loving. And just as God crafted humans,
00:27:08
Speaker 3: he crafted the whole world with stewardship and care. In
00:27:13
Speaker 3: his creation, he instilled a purpose and a destiny. Now,
00:27:19
Speaker 3: let's take a moment for a theological deep dive. In
00:27:24
Speaker 3: our typical readings of Genesis, we often miss some of
00:27:27
Speaker 3: the subtle nuances of the original Hebrew, as we call it,
00:27:32
Speaker 3: Lashon Hakodesh, the Holy tongue. Jewish tradition teaches that God
00:27:37
Speaker 3: created what is called in Hebrew yesh mi ain, which
00:27:42
Speaker 3: literally translates as something from nothing. There's a beautiful Jewish
00:27:47
Speaker 3: teaching that states that this is an imperative for us,
00:27:50
Speaker 3: that just as He created worlds, so must you create worlds.
00:27:57
Speaker 3: The profound creativity that God displayed in creating the universe
00:28:01
Speaker 3: should inspire the creativity that we show in each of
00:28:03
Speaker 3: our own individual universes. So as we study God's grand
00:28:08
Speaker 3: creation of the world, let's also think about how we
00:28:11
Speaker 3: can be creative in creating the best for our families.
00:28:16
Speaker 3: That's creating worlds, in creating surroundings for ourselves, which is holy,
00:28:23
Speaker 3: which is pure, which is not full of drama, but
00:28:26
Speaker 3: is full of giving and doing good. That's creating worlds
00:28:30
Speaker 3: and for the entire universe. We are able to give,
00:28:35
Speaker 3: to give charity, we are able to give prayer, We're
00:28:39
Speaker 3: able to do action that will change this world. That's
00:28:43
Speaker 3: what it means to live in the image of God,
00:28:47
Speaker 3: to create something from nothing. God gave us a blank slate.
00:28:53
Speaker 3: We need to fill it through our lives here on earth,
00:28:57
Speaker 3: and we can fill it by doing good things, by
00:29:01
Speaker 3: doing holy things and creating a new world, a better
00:29:06
Speaker 3: world for our children and grandchildren. And let's consider the
00:29:10
Speaker 3: words formless and avoid. As we say in Hebrew tohu
00:29:14
Speaker 3: Va Vogel, these terms don't just speak of emptiness or formlessness.
00:29:18
Speaker 3: They describe something wild, something untained, something brimming with potential.
00:29:23
Speaker 3: The Bible isn't describing a mere absence of something before
00:29:27
Speaker 3: creation is describing a blank canvas awaiting the creator's touch.
00:29:33
Speaker 3: This perspective transforms our understanding of creation. It suggests that
00:29:38
Speaker 3: the world was not just made to be a static
00:29:40
Speaker 3: display of God's craftsmanship, but a dynamic starting point for
00:29:45
Speaker 3: something that is constantly growing and changing and that is
00:29:49
Speaker 3: continuously wonderful. As bearers of God's image were called to
00:29:54
Speaker 3: venture into the wilderness of our world, the politics, the policy,
00:30:00
Speaker 3: everything that seems so empty, but we're called to engage
00:30:05
Speaker 3: with it, with the untamed, and to bring forth His
00:30:09
Speaker 3: kingdom through creativity and cultivation. Just as it began in
00:30:15
Speaker 3: the garden, so it continues with us today. Let's also
00:30:20
Speaker 3: consider a reoccurring image in the Bible, the image of
00:30:24
Speaker 3: the chaotic waters. In the beginning, the earth was covered
00:30:28
Speaker 3: in a dark, chaotic and unruly sea, and then God
00:30:32
Speaker 3: spoke life, light and order. In the Bible, stormy waters
00:30:37
Speaker 3: represent life apart from God evil darkness. We will see
00:30:43
Speaker 3: this image over and over again, most notably in the
00:30:46
Speaker 3: beginning of our episode with the parting of the Red Sea.
00:30:51
Speaker 3: And each time we see this image in the Bible,
00:30:53
Speaker 3: you can go back to Noah as well. We are
00:30:56
Speaker 3: reminded that from the beginning Brasiat that first word of
00:31:02
Speaker 3: the Scriptures, God has prevailed over evil, darkness, and despair,
00:31:08
Speaker 3: and He always provides a way through. He stills and
00:31:13
Speaker 3: steadies the stormy waters. God gives us peace and harmony.
00:31:18
Speaker 3: The Psalms communicate this beautifully. Do you remember Psalm twenty three.
00:31:24
Speaker 3: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He
00:31:28
Speaker 3: makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me
00:31:31
Speaker 3: besides the still water hashim roil essar. As we say
00:31:39
Speaker 3: that verse in Hebrew, chaotic and stormy waters bring death.
00:31:44
Speaker 3: Still waters and quiet streams bring life. The earth was
00:31:49
Speaker 3: lost in a chaotic darkness, but God brought forth light.
00:31:54
Speaker 3: He can and will do the same thing for you.
00:31:59
Speaker 3: We are all part of this story. No matter the hurdles,
00:32:03
Speaker 3: the heartache, or the chaos. You face today. You are
00:32:07
Speaker 3: part of God's grand design. So hold fast to God's promise,
00:32:12
Speaker 3: hold fast to his love and his light. The shadows
00:32:16
Speaker 3: you see today will be chased away by the bright
00:32:18
Speaker 3: dawn of each new day He creates. So let me
00:32:22
Speaker 3: conclude with a blessing to you. This blessing is a
00:32:26
Speaker 3: very special to me. It's the priestly blessing from number six.
00:32:29
Speaker 3: And it's a blessing that my father, as we say
00:32:32
Speaker 3: in Hebrew, my Abba, Rabbi Ziel Exstein of blessed memory,
00:32:36
Speaker 3: gave to me and my sisters every single week on
00:32:39
Speaker 3: the Sabbath. And it's a blessing that I will leave
00:32:43
Speaker 3: you with today as I bless you from Israel. Yevarrera
00:32:49
Speaker 3: Hashem vish morehra yeah er hashempanave lera verra ye sa hashempanave.
00:32:57
Speaker 1: Shalon.
00:32:58
Speaker 3: May the Lord bless see you and keep you. May
00:33:01
Speaker 3: the Lord make his face shine upon you. May the
00:33:04
Speaker 3: Lord be gracious to you, and may the Lord turn
00:33:07
Speaker 3: his face towards you and give you Shalon. Give you peace.
00:33:14
Speaker 3: Join me next time from here in Israel, as we
00:33:17
Speaker 3: meet Adam and Eve. Their story is a lesson on
00:33:20
Speaker 3: what it means to be human, to walk with God,
00:33:23
Speaker 3: and to live a life of purpose. I can't wait
00:33:27
Speaker 3: to study it with you. With blessings from the Holy Land.
00:33:32
Speaker 3: This is your el Extein and you are listening to
00:33:35
Speaker 3: the Chosen People.
00:33:39
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with you, Isle
00:33:41
Speaker 1: Exstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the pray
00:33:45
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This prey dot Com production is
00:33:49
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
00:33:53
Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellavaga and Ben Gammon are
00:33:57
Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen Bee with Yile Eckstein,
00:34:01
Speaker 1: edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
00:34:06
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
00:34:11
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
00:34:15
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
00:34:19
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier,
00:34:24
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller and the team
00:34:28
Speaker 1: at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
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