The Bronze Serpent

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: The Edamites already told us in no uncertain terms, they would meet us in battle. 00:00:10 Speaker 3: I had hoped that hearing our light and drawing on our shared lineage with Esol's descendants would sway their minds. 00:00:20 Speaker 2: Or do they mean to finish what they started thirty eight years ago? Well, technically we started it. Perhaps we should prepare ourselves for war. They seem intent on finishing it. 00:00:32 Speaker 1: Either way, Eliza cut in decisively and interrupted his brother. 00:00:36 Speaker 4: If you want to be haunted by our past, then fine, let it be our teacher. Why did the campaign against the Canaanites fail? Why were we crushed against the walls of a rod. Our forefathers went without the presence of the Lord. I remember the ark of the Covenant sat idle in Kadesh, or they ventured up without a second thought. No one thought to pray in us Lord to be with them. No one thought about anything but the fear, and that is why they failed. 00:01:06 Speaker 5: I propose we changed that. Joshua. 00:01:09 Speaker 4: Draw up your plans and make the changes you need to our defenses. But first let us pray in us the Lord to be with us, and let us go a step further, and remember the warnings he gave about conquering the land of Canaan. We must make a holy vow. If the Lord should hand our enemy over to us, we must completely destroy their city, no half measures. We cannot allow ourselves to be led astray or tempted to follow their ways. Now let us go. Let us go and defeat our enemies and win back our captives. 00:01:46 Speaker 1: Beaming with approval and paternal pride, Moses rallied the man. 00:01:52 Speaker 3: To war, man to war. 00:01:55 Speaker 2: It is. 00:02:03 Speaker 6: Victory begins when we stop looking down at our pain and we start looking up to the God who heals Shelloh, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel, I'm l Exstein with international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. The desert is a place of testing. Israel is tired and thirsty. Complaints rise like dust in the wind. The people of Israel speak against God, and he responds with serpents whose bites are swift and deadly. But mercy is never far behind. A bronze serpent is lifted high, and whoever looks at it lives, and their journey continues, leading them to battle and victory, all under the watchful eye of the God who saves. 00:03:00 Speaker 1: The temperature in the tent was sweltering, however, it was the only place Moses could discuss the matters of Israel with his trusted advisers in privacy. Sweat beaded on Caleb's face, who was now officially installed as a council member, as he led Israel's vanguard. The days since their victory over the Canaanites at Ormar had been grueling and relentless. Done were their days of wandering, and Israel pressed forward with a new found purpose. But it had also taken its toll. A warm spring had given way to a blistering summer, and the people were weary for months on the road. Moses cleared his throat and called the meeting to order. 00:03:45 Speaker 3: Let's hear the reports from the kingdoms of Moab and ammon ithamar In gersham Ah, faithful emissaries, we see that you had returned to us safely. We have also seen the ron's iron and horses. You have returned with your dipromises to be commanded. It seems that our kinsmen responded well to our gifts and promises of peace. 00:04:14 Speaker 1: Gersham nodded respectfully to his father and began. 00:04:17 Speaker 7: Yes, father, They were very receptive to our envoy. They were, of course pleased that we meant them no harm. 00:04:24 Speaker 1: If Amar never want to go without sharing the spotlight cut in with his retort. 00:04:29 Speaker 2: Oh, yes, it went very well. I've spent so much time in foreign lands lately that my wife likely thinks I've run off to become a bard. I was singing a new song in a different chort every week. 00:04:42 Speaker 8: I'm surprised the meetings went as well as they did, considering your infamous charm, if Omar. 00:04:48 Speaker 2: Well, it's not my charm they enjoy. It's my grasp of our finances. Everyone respects the man holding the purse strings. 00:05:00 Speaker 8: A good thing. Gersham thought to bring the coin counter. 00:05:02 Speaker 1: Then the men around the table laughed. Caleb's playful and good natured spirit softened Lithamar's prickly temperament, Moses sighed. It also had the added benefit of keeping the far more serious High Priest Eliezer from pulling out his hair at his brother's sarcastic remarks. Every day, this new generation of leadership was learning how to work together, how to trust one another. Moses had gathered his counsel to discuss their plans as they moved out of Moab and into the viciously contested region on the Moabite Plains. It had once belonged to Moab, but it was now held by the Amorites, a cunning and formidable enemy to all the kingdoms. Descended from the patriarch Abraham. They were known for their depraved customs and the vile practice of child's sacrifice to their cruel god. Moleek Ithamar picked up the discussion once the table quieted. 00:06:02 Speaker 2: Well, now that you've heard of our sweeping success abroad, tell us how are things at home. 00:06:09 Speaker 1: The men around the table looked at one another. No one seemed to know where to start. Joshua leaned forward and rubbed his brow. He put it as delicately as he could. 00:06:21 Speaker 5: People are restless Moses, the tired and irritable. They are whispers of descent across the tribes. 00:06:29 Speaker 1: Eliezer, the newly appointed high priest, snorted and replied more directly, cutting to the heart of the matter. 00:06:36 Speaker 7: That's putting it mildly. The people are towing the line of rebellion. They're unsatisfied with the manner they grow impatient with the desert. It stems from their frustration with our plans to abandon Canaan instead of circuit Moab. 00:06:51 Speaker 1: Joshua quickly stepped in to clarify, and Moses could sense that he was doing so out of a deep loyalty and desire to protect him. 00:07:00 Speaker 5: They believe we should have pressed north crossed into Canaan after Omarh. They don't see the wisdom in waiting. 00:07:06 Speaker 3: They It's all right, Joshua, I can explain. It is true. The people cannot understand why we've taken the long way when we were at the doorstep to the promised land. They are also confused about why we take the time to send emissaries and ask before we enter land peacefully. We've won one battle, and they think that we're now a nation of conquerors. They look to the kingdoms of Moab and Ammon and their eyes get greedy. The temptation is to take their lands and wealth. But the Lord has been clear, we are not savage plunderers. We must not harm the descendants of Lot, for Moab and Ammon are his children and this land is their possession. We are not to raise a hand against them. We must focus on claiming the land that has been promised to us. One day, we may be grateful that we kept the peace with our neighbors. 00:08:14 Speaker 1: It was quiet for a moment, but then Moses's eldest Gersham, spoke up, saying what he knew. Most of Israel was probably thinking. 00:08:23 Speaker 7: Forgive me, father, But I have to ask why didn't we just press north after Hermah. Then we wouldn't be going through the millbiten Ammonite kingdoms at all. 00:08:34 Speaker 3: The Lord forbid it. 00:08:36 Speaker 5: We are not ready. 00:08:37 Speaker 1: Moses knew his answer was vague. He knew the younger men would likely not be satisfied with that answer. He wished Aaron was still alive to share this burden with him, the burden of being barred from the promised land he had told no one. He could only assume that Aaron had not either before he died. Eliezer and Athama certainly didn't seem as if they knew. Moses was trying to be grateful for the time he still had with this generation. He had time to prepare them, nurture them, but his positions, loneliness, and uniqueness were crushing on his soul. Joshua met Moses' eyes, gave him an encouraging smile, and then turned to rally the men. 00:09:23 Speaker 5: We must trust the Lord's timing, and we must prepare. We are now about to enter our enemy's domain. I do not think the Amorites will be as receptive to our gifts as Egyptian hairlooms of copper. 00:09:35 Speaker 3: You're right, Joshua, but we will still try near them. Ah and Gersham go to King Sihon of the Amorites anyway, We will come across his territory first. He is a fierce protector of the land that they have stolen away from the Moabites. But hopefully he will see our amicable dealings with them and allow us to pass through their lands in peace. 00:10:04 Speaker 7: Doubtful, same message as before, Father, Yes we will not veer O. 00:10:10 Speaker 3: What was that? 00:10:11 Speaker 1: Joshua and Caleb sprang to their feet and drew their weapons as they charged out of the tent. The others were on their heels, but the scene outside moses tent caused them all to stop dead in their tracks. Pand ammonium. The people were screaming and running in every direction. Men had weapons drawn and were looking around at the ground wildly. Women clutched their children as they ran sobbing through the pathways between the tents. It didn't take long to realize the source of their fear. Snakes. Snakes were slithering and hissing every hundred feet or so. Their triangular heads and glossy, sinuous bodies told Moses everything he needed to know. Poisonous vipers deadly and by the hundreds. Moses council stood paralyzed with indecision. Should they attack the snakes, attempt to drive them back, help usher the people to safety. The serpents seemed to be everywhere already. The snake's victims littered the ground, writhing and crying out of burning pain as the poison took immediate effect. The snakes were supple and could press under tent walls and squeeze through openings and entryways. One serpent raised its head and poised to strike a woman beside Joshua, but he swiftly drew his blade and cut off its. 00:11:30 Speaker 5: Head, being a slash all them in time. 00:11:33 Speaker 1: When the do Moses shuddered, there would be no escaping them. The tents blocked his view, but he had a sneaking suspicion that there were thousands more out there. Moses tents stood before the tabernacle, and from where they were standing they could see a group of terrified people huddling by the altar. Just then, a particularly robust snake well over five feet long, slithered up to the entrance of the courtyard. Moses held his breath as he watched it lift its head. Fans beared tung the air before the entrance, turn away and slither on. Moses let out a sigh of relief and heard Eliezer do the same behind him, surely tracking Moses' thoughts, the snakes could not enter the holy space of the Tabernacle. 00:12:20 Speaker 5: To the Tabernacle, I cannot enter. 00:12:22 Speaker 7: It wouldn't decide what to do once we're inside the courtyard. 00:12:26 Speaker 1: The council didn't need to be told twice. They broke into a run as nearby snakes, tracking their sudden movement, shot forward, jaws snapping. Joshua and Caleb had their blades drawn, slashing back and forth like one would do to vines in a dense forest. Ihamah made it over the threshold just as a snake's mouth snapped shut inches away from him. It hissed in frustration, at being deprived of its prey. Ihamar, wide eyed, slumped to the ground, panting. 00:12:58 Speaker 2: My family's out there, hide in here while they're in danger. 00:13:02 Speaker 1: Before anyone could answer, the frightened people swarmed them. 00:13:06 Speaker 3: Please, Lord Moses, we have said by speaking against the Lord, against you us. 00:13:12 Speaker 1: Your Moses, needing no other encouragement, immediately fell on his face and interceded on the people's behalf. The other members of his council joined. The Lord responded to Moses frantic prayers over the desperate people's cries. 00:13:29 Speaker 5: Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. 00:13:33 Speaker 9: When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover. 00:13:39 Speaker 1: Moses immediately turned to his council. The frightened shouts of the people were unrelenting from the other side of the courtyard walls. Moses stood up, steal eyed and determined to make it all right. 00:13:52 Speaker 10: Moses, where are you going? The Lord has spoken, eliezar item I. Gather the priests and have them meet me in the courtierd Caleb. Take some of the soldiers and have them carry the bit into me. Jojua hack every snake you see. 00:14:08 Speaker 1: Moses took a hammer in his trembling hands, he commanded the blacksmiths to bring him the molten bronze. Like the pounding of a heartbeat, Moses swung his hammer down to form a coiling serpent of bronze. Its molten red hue cooled into a dark bronze sheen. Moses attached it to a large pole and took it out to the people Caleb had assembled, hundreds of suffering people, people who had been bitten, nearing death. Moses rose the pole high, then drove it down into the dirt. The sound of vibrating metals silenced the crowd. All were still for a moment, awaiting deliverance as they always had. 00:14:51 Speaker 10: Look, Behold the very symbol of what's killing you. 00:14:55 Speaker 3: Behold it risen high for all to see. It is your salvation. 00:15:02 Speaker 1: The people peered up at the serpent, its bronze frame shimmering in the dying light of day. Their quivering faces dripped with tears of anguish as they beheld the very image of their sin. The sickness that plagued them subsided. Their bodies, once racked with pain, were healed. This serpent high and lifted up before them, brought healing Moses looked at it, wondering what it truly meant. He sensed deep in his bones that the Lord was working out something for the future, a symbol of salvation to come. Moses resolved to keep the bronze snake with them on their journey, a tangible reminder of repentance. Each time they looked upon it for healing, they would remember where that healing truly came from. The men were huddled together for warmth in the foothills of the Pisca Mountain range. Their horses similarly grouped together, nickered softly in their sleep. Joshua had stationed their units, gone over orders, oversaw the distribution of rations, set shifts for the night's watch, and now there was nothing to do but wait. Sleep would be hard to find tonight, for they would attack the Amorites in the morning. Joshua sat away up the hill from the other men, the distant peak of Mount Nebo at his back, to keep an eye on the plains below. Israel's fires were like a night sky of warm, inviting stars that stretched for miles. Joshua scanned the landscape for the thousandth time. 00:16:44 Speaker 3: All was well. 00:16:46 Speaker 1: Joshua's fingers tapped his dagger and repeated irregular patterns over and over. A pile of wood shavings littered the ground at Joshua's feet. He had started out shaping something, but then slowly whittled it away to nothing. Joshua didn't have to look up to know that Caleb approached him, returning from his watch, his footfall and tread as familiar as his own. 00:17:09 Speaker 9: Ah, I'm surprised this part isn't getting any easier. 00:17:14 Speaker 5: What do you mean. 00:17:17 Speaker 9: The waiting. 00:17:19 Speaker 5: True? I doubt it ever will. 00:17:22 Speaker 1: Caleb sat heavily next to Joshua, letting his legs and feet sprawl before him. He sighed as he leaned back on his elbows and relaxed his shoulders. 00:17:32 Speaker 5: How are the men? 00:17:33 Speaker 1: Caleb gave Joshua a conspiratorial look and pretended to look concerned. Joshua bit back a smile. He would let Kleb play out his joke. 00:17:43 Speaker 9: They're telling ghost stories again? What about they say? The blood in the waters we found earlier, the dead emeralds are haunting us. The men fear they will take their vengeance. 00:17:56 Speaker 3: On us tomorrow. 00:17:57 Speaker 5: Are the men actually worried interpreting the bodies we found as a bad omen. 00:18:03 Speaker 9: No, no, no, we all know was the Lord. He cleared the way for us. 00:18:07 Speaker 3: It was a miracle. 00:18:08 Speaker 8: Your plan will work, Joshua, it will work. 00:18:12 Speaker 1: Joshua and Caleb took a detachment of men and horses from the tribe of Judah. They broke off from the larger army a few days ago as it continued along the King's Highway into Amorite held territory without them. Together, they led their unit through the foothills, where they would travel parallel to the larger army on the road down on the plains, they knew King Sihon was coming for them. He practically spat in Ishamar and Gersham's faces when they delivered MOS's message. But Israel had marched forward and their spies had reported that the Amorite king's army was now headed to meet them. But when they did, the Amorites were in for a surprise. The two armies would meet on the plains below, and Israel would drive them to the foothills, where Joshua and Caleb would be waiting on the higher ground with a cavalry. Joshua smiled. It was a good plan, but it was not an original one, as it turned out. When the men stopped to water the horses yesterday, they noticed the blood in the water. They followed the trail of blood until they found the crushed bodies of a unit of Amorite soldiers, men who clearly had the same idea Joshua had. They were planning to wait in the foothills when the scattered army was sent their way, and they were in the foothills before Joshua. The Amorites would have seen them coming and could have quickly taken the manawares. The Lord, however, had something else in mind. Joshua shivered at the memory of their mangled bodies. They had been crushed by large rocks that had fallen from higher up the peaks, but the Israelites had not felt the earth shake or heard the rocks shift, and they were never more than a few miles away from these unfortunate Amorites, and Joshua as keen eyes saw that all the men had been lethally crushed, despite inconsistencies with how the rocks had fallen or how near or far away they were from each other. Joshua shook off the memory and gripped Caleb's shoulder affectionately. 00:20:15 Speaker 5: The mortar has already gone before us and stopped the first man. We oppressed the advantages laid before us tomorrow and strike. 00:20:22 Speaker 3: The second. 00:20:28 Speaker 1: Morning arrived swiftly, but Joshua, Caleb. 00:20:31 Speaker 5: And their men were ready. 00:20:33 Speaker 1: The battle unfolded as Joshua had envisioned. The vanguard tribes Judah, Isakar, and Zebulun led the eastern unit. They fought valiantly, driving a powerful wedge through the Amorite army and breaking their lines. The tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant were securely placed at the center of the formation, protected by the southern unit and the Levite clans. The western unit, Ephraim, Manassa and Benjamin herded the shattered enemy toward the foothills, that is where Joshua and Caleb's cavalry awaited them. The Amorites, thinking they were retreating toward their allies, showed shock in their eyes as the cavalry smashed into their scattered lines. Meanwhile, the northern unit and Israel's rear guard ensured no stragglers escaped. The battle was fierce yet swift. It was a decisive victory for Israel. The killing calm had settled into Joshua's bones. His breath was steady as his arm blocked and cut down his opponents with masterful ease. The motions were a practiced, familiar rhythm. Years of training and the wilderness with their army had shaped him. His calloused hands knew the handle of his blade as if it were an extension of his arm. His mind filtered out the gruesome dicing of his sword and the contorted faces of his life dying enemies. Any empathy he might have felt for this butchery was quickly set aside when he beheld the city's altars. Though hastily abandoned while the city fortified itself, the remains of small charred, undeniably juvenile bones still adorned the pias. The sight of the remains of sacrificed children twisted Joshua's stomach with a haunting memory, one that would stick with him for a lifetime. His enemies all fell before him. As the Israelites smashed their forces against the walls and fought their way into the city, Joshua focused solely on the repetition of his breath and the motion of his arm. After seeing the altars of child's sacrifice, Joshua felt the weight of his mission. This wasn't just about getting to the Promised Land. This was about exacting justice for the innocence they had slaughtered and the atrocities they committed on behalf of them false gods. In haile, guard exhal cut in hal guard, exhale, frust repeat for hours. Joshua lost himself in the cycle as the bodies fell before him and his feet steadily advanced through the city's narrow streets. It wasn't until Joshua yanked his blade free from a weak spot in his opponent's armor, watching him fall lifeless to the ground with a soft thud, that he realized no more soldiers were left to fight. The thick wooden door of the keep stood before him. Joshua wasn't surprised when he saw his men were already bringing up a battering ram. Joshua finally paused to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. It came away stained with grime, gore, and who knows what else, matting his hair and dripping down the back of his neck. In the commotion of the men readying to work on the door, Joshua saw Caleb trot up to him. 00:24:02 Speaker 8: There you all right, there, brother, didn't leave any men for the rest of us to kill. 00:24:08 Speaker 1: A grin tugged at the corner of Joshua's mouth at Caleb's surprisingly upbeat attitude in the middle of a killing field. But then he looked behind him. Israelites struggled to climb over the Amorites who had been in Joshua's path. The carnage was staggering. Crows were already circling and perching on the walls above them. Joshua looked back to Caleb as their men began battering the door. 00:24:34 Speaker 5: Don't worry, Gallab, I've saved some for you as well. Beyond this door is the last of the guard protecting the king. 00:24:40 Speaker 1: A confident smile stretched across Caleb's face as he responded enthusiastically to his general. 00:24:46 Speaker 8: The last stand of king. Let's make it enough fight worth remembering. 00:24:54 Speaker 1: With that, the door shattered from the final slam of the battering ram. The Israelites soldiers cleared the splintered wood away to create an opening for their commanders. As one, Joshua and Caleb turned and their swords lifted into a practiced guard. They advanced through the open door with war cries. King Og pressed himself against the stone wall and blubbered in fear. It was a pitiful sight. What remained of his king's guards shakily stood their ground. They knew they were outmatched. As he and Caleb, who stood head and shoulders over most men, strode toward them. Joshua almost felt remorse for what was about to happen, but Joshua knew that their God was delivering them this victory. The Amorites would never let the people of Israel live if the roles had been reversed. Without looking away from their foe, Caleb asked in a steady. 00:25:50 Speaker 9: Voice, three and three. 00:25:52 Speaker 5: You brigg left. I'll go right with that. 00:25:55 Speaker 1: Joshua lunged forward and shot down with force, obliterating the fire soldier's guard. Joshua's body continued through the movement, and his elbow connected with the man's face, breaking his nose and causing him to stagger back. Before the second soldier could respond, Joshua's sword changed direction from its chop and cut upward, splitting him from navel to nose. Blood sprayed somewhere in the back of his mind, Joshua wondered at the weakness of the king's guard. Were they purely ceremonial guards, so much for a last stand? Caleb would be disappointed. The third soldier hesitated at the quick brutal death of his companion, and Joshua closed the gap between them with a lethal thrust just under the man's breastplate, impaling him through the gut. Joshua turned to see that the first man was still stumbling and disorientated by his broken nose. Joshua ended his life quickly and efficiently. Beyond him, Caleb stood similarly victoriously among the three fallen soldiers. Together, they turned to the now defenseless king. His eyes flashed with hate, and he spat at their feet. Before he could say anything vile, Joshua struck him down with a mighty blow. Joshua triumphantly climbed back up the rubble of the toppled gate and thrust his sword over his head, declaring victory. They had done it. They had battered the gate and stormed the city walls of Edrie. They had done what everyone thought would be impossible for nomadic shepherds. They had taken a fortified city. Moses approached the city to survey the damage. He stared in awe at what his army had inflicted. Then, with a determined look, he made to climb the rubble and join Joshua at the top. Joshua leaped down the stones to meet him. 00:27:55 Speaker 5: The stones are unstable. 00:28:00 Speaker 3: You're standing on them? Why can't I? I am standing, But but you're not ancient like me. 00:28:10 Speaker 1: Joshua laughed in surprise at Moses' lightheartedness. He had not seen Moses smile in a long time. This victory brought Israel the confidence and assurance it's. 00:28:22 Speaker 5: So desperately needed. 00:28:24 Speaker 1: Moses made to move again, one unsteady foot after another, edging his way up the broken stones. Joshua reached to him and offered an arm. They climbed together, shoulder to shoulder. 00:28:37 Speaker 3: The Lord told me he had the city over to us, and then he told me that I would stand on the battlements the wake of. 00:28:46 Speaker 1: Our Lookly they arrived at the top and looked out at the Transjordan Plains, the entire area now in their control. The Jordan River lay directly to the west and beyond it. Was still catching his breath, Joshua looked at Moses and saw that his mind was far from here. He followed Moses' gaze to the Pisca mountain range and saw it linger on the tallest peak, Mount Nebo. Beyond its crest, just out of view was the promised Man. 00:29:26 Speaker 6: There's a story passed down through Jewish tradition. It was the night before the wedding of the daughter of Rabbi Akiva. The bride to be was preparing for bed. Her heart was full of excitement and maybe just a little bit of fear. She removed the golden hairpin from her hair, and as she did every night, she placed it into a hole in the wall beside her bed. Well morning came and a scream shattered the silence. When the rabbi's daughter pulled the hairpin from the wall, a snake hung from it, and it was dead. The serpent had been ready to strike in the night, poised to kill her, but without even knowing it, she had pierced the snake with her pin, and it saved her life. Rabbi Akiva saw the dead serpent and he said Bahusham, blessing God for this huge miracle. Today's Bible story showed us another miracle involving serpents one far more dramatic. Once again we find the Chosen People complaining to Moses and to God, this time about the Mana, the very food from heaven that sustained them every day there in a desert where food was almost impossible to come by. God sustained them. And still they complained, And so God sent a fiery serpent to deliver a poisonous bite. There were serpents everywhere. But then God sent the Chosen people a cure. And it was a cure if you ask me. God commands Moses to construct a bronze serpent and to place it on a high pull. And verse nine tells us, quote, then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived, end quote. 00:31:19 Speaker 3: What was this? 00:31:21 Speaker 6: The image of a bronze serpent actually cured them from a serpent bite. This troubled the sages throughout Jewish tradition, and they all asked the same question, does a bronze serpent cause death or life? And then the sages answered, and what they said was, it wasn't the serpent that healed, But when they looked upward at the serpent, they lifted their eyes and their hearts to their Father in heaven. That's when they were healed. And if they didn't lift their eyes up then died. This is very clear. The sin of speaking against the very food that God provided them each day was a serious sin. It was slandering God himself and the cure. It was repentance. It was looking to the heavens and committing themselves to the God who was guiding them through the wilderness. And the serpent was the perfect vehicle for both their sin and their repentance. We can look all the way back to that serpent in the garden of Eden, that serpent who spoke ill of God himself and who was punished for it. But repentance is always available, and we see that here as the bronze serpent now had the ability to erase sin and to give life. If there was ever a lesson and the sin of not appreciating good that's been done for you, this is it. Even though the Chosen People experienced God's protection every single day, they still complained over and over again, even complaining about the miraculous food that God provided them. This story's a lesson for all of us, isn't it. It's so easy to complain, but usually our complaining is completely useless. Just as God told the Israelites to take a deep breath and appreciate what they were receiving, he tells us the same thing every single day. Look around you and appreciate the blessings that God has bestowed. 00:33:35 Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the prey dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, Edited by Alberto Avilla by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yeile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.