The Burning Bush

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people, and so the children of Israel were bound in chains, their lives consumed by the relentless toil of Pharaoh's ambitions. Day after day, the sun rose and set, casting its unforgiving light upon a land where time itself seemed to stretch into eternity. Under the lash, beneath the weight of stones and mortar, the people of Israel cried out to the God of their fathers. 00:00:33 Speaker 2: Oh deliver us, rescue your people. 00:00:42 Speaker 1: When Moses was weaned, he was returned to Princess Bitya and raised as a prince of Egypt. He grew up alongside Rameses, the son of Pharaoh SETI, the future ruler of the land. But despite the opulence of the palace, a shadow hung over Moses, a lingering scent of the Hebrews that clung to him like a second skin. 00:01:07 Speaker 2: That's enough, leave him alone. 00:01:10 Speaker 3: These dogs need to know who their masters are. 00:01:14 Speaker 1: I said enough. 00:01:17 Speaker 3: I had to get out of here. 00:01:19 Speaker 1: Moses wandered the desert, his thoughts a whirlwind of guilt and. 00:01:24 Speaker 2: Fear, and where is here? 00:01:28 Speaker 4: Exactly why? The land of mountains, fields and mystery. Welcome my friend to Midian. It is not a place as much as it is a people. 00:01:39 Speaker 1: The Hebrews had suffered under Setti's rule, but there had been moments of peace, moments when the whip was lowered and the labor eased. Ramses though there was a hunger in him, a lust for power that went beyond the throne. 00:01:58 Speaker 3: Our burden grew heavy. I feel it in my bones. 00:02:02 Speaker 5: He will use us until we break, and then he will grind our bones to dust to make more pitch. He is not a man who will be content with mere servitude. He will bleed us dry. 00:02:18 Speaker 1: Songs for deliverance fell upon the dust and pitch they worked in. Desperately, they sang to their God, appealing the promises he made their ancestors. The stars above seemed fixed in their indifference, and the Nile flowed on, dark and unyielding. And yet in the hearts of Aaron and Miriam a flicker of hope remained, For they knew that somewhere, beyond the veil of the scene and the unseen, beyond the power of pharaohs and the gods of Egypt, there was a god who listened, a God who remembered. Moses rose in the gray stillness of the pre dawn. Slipping from his bed quietly, His wife Zipporah and their youngest son, Eliezza, lay beside her, wrapped in the peace of sleep. He watched them for a moment. Zipporah's hair spread across the pillow like an inky river. Elieza's tiny hand curled against his mother's side. There was a warmth in the sight, a quiet simplicity that had been his solace for years. Moses crept outside, grabbing his well worn staff, and heading toward the fields. The air was cool and clean, the kind of crispness that carried promise. Moses took a deep breath and let it fill his lungs. His oldest son, Gershon, had been watching the flocks overnight. He was a faithful, strong and dependable lad. How did the night watch gol my son. 00:04:06 Speaker 3: Uneventful? Except our newest little lamb has been unruly as of late. 00:04:12 Speaker 1: She's too curious for her own goods. 00:04:13 Speaker 3: Sometimes reminds me of you. 00:04:18 Speaker 1: When you were but a lamb. Moses ruffled Gersham's dark matted hair and let him return to his tent to sleep. As he whistled, the sheep stirred from their slumber. Responding to his call with bleats that echoed across the valley. They followed him eagerly, trusting in their shepherd's voice and his familiar gestures. He led them through the narrow, winding valley of Horreb at the foot of the great mountain the Medianites called Sinai. The mountain loomed above, its jagged peaks, cutting sharply into the dawn sky. Green life clung stubbornly to the earth in the mountain's shadow. Here, the sun's reach was softened, and the sheep grazed contentedly among patches of wild grasses and shrubs. Moses found a flat rock and sat, letting his weary body relax. As he reclined, he watched the sun's first light creep over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and apricot. The sheep was scattered before him, a white speckling across the green, all grazing within sight. Except for one. Moses's eyes followed the errant lamb. She climbed each small rise of stone with an awkward enthusiasm, only to tumble down again. Moses chuckled softly at her antics until she bounded further, darting up toward the rocky crags that led deeper into the canyons. 00:05:55 Speaker 2: Hey, come back, ah. 00:05:59 Speaker 1: Moses groaned, his breath visible in the cool morning air. He got to his feet, gripping his staff, and jogged toward the canyon. There was a weariness in him, but also a glimmer of anticipation. Life in Median had been calm, but there was a part of him that had grown restless with it. The slight danger enlivened him more than he cared to admit. Moses followed the lamb up into the rocky path, the sound of his feet crunching over loose stones mingling with the fading echoes of the sheep's bleats. 00:06:36 Speaker 3: A few other. 00:06:36 Speaker 1: Herders had recently been there. Moses could see their footprints in the gravel. Where did you go a little while His voice bounced off the towering canyons. The further he went, the quieter it became, until only the sound of his own breathing remained. The canyon narrowed, its walls closing in, and for a moment he felt utter alone, then faint and distant. He heard a whisper, a sound that was not quite a sound, a voice that seemed to come from the stones themselves, or even from within his own mind. 00:07:14 Speaker 3: Mosius. 00:07:16 Speaker 1: Moses stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. The voice echoed softly, resonating in his bones, filling the air with a haunting familiarity. He called to him again, a whisper that was both near and. 00:07:32 Speaker 3: Far, Mosies. 00:07:36 Speaker 1: The name, his name rolled through the canyon like a wave, pulling him forward with a force that defied understanding. He rounded a bend in the path, his heart hammering in his chest, and saw it a light breaking through the shadows ahead. The light danced along the dusty floor, casting long, erratic shadows that seemed to move with the life of their own. Moses was drawn to it, unable to look away. His feet moved of their own accord, carrying him closer to the source of the light. The voice came again, clearer, now a murmur that seemed to thrum through the very rocks beneath him, o Zus. He turned a final corner and stopped, his breath stolen from his lungs. Before him was a tree, but not as any tree he had ever seen. It was engulfed in flames, a great burning bush that flared with a fierce. 00:08:39 Speaker 3: Unnatural fire. 00:08:40 Speaker 1: Yet the fire did not consume it. The branches did not blacken, the leaves did not curl to ash. The flames leaped and danced wild and powerful, but the tree remained whole and unscathed. Ozus the voice, now nearer than before, sound like a thousand rushing waters, all humming at once. Moses could hear the voice all around him and deep in his chest. It spoke to him, but it also spoke within him. He could feel the presence of another, someone foreign and familiar, all at once. The ground underfoot seemed alive, thrumming with an unseen force, as if beating to the rhythm of this voice. The earth rippled like a stone tossed in still water. Moses was drawn to the fire and inched closer. 00:09:35 Speaker 2: Here I am. 00:09:37 Speaker 1: He clenched his staff and inched closer to the tree. As he stepped, the breeze nudged him back. 00:09:45 Speaker 3: Do not come closer to horses, Remove your sandals, for will you stand is holy ground. 00:09:55 Speaker 1: Moses felt his heart quicken. The air was different, charged with a strange energy that made the hairs on his arms stand. He looked down and saw the ground beneath him, rippling as though it were water. He bent down and removed his sandals. Moses hands were trembling. He took a cautious step closer to the tree, still clutching his staff like a lifeline. The flames seemed to welcome him, enveloping him in their warmth without burning him. 00:10:28 Speaker 3: Who are you? I am the God of your Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 00:10:41 Speaker 1: With these words, the flames surged higher, and the brightness of the fire became blinding. Moses shielded his eyes, recoiling from the intensity. The light was pure, fierce, like a thousand suns burning all at once. He could feel its power washing over him, and he fell back, overwhelmed by its radiance. For a moment, he dared not look up, afraid of what he might see. But as he lowered his arm, the light softened, and he saw the flames swaying gently, as if in an unseen wind. 00:11:17 Speaker 3: I have soothed the affliction of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries and beheld their suffering. I have come to deliver them out of slavery and carry them to a learnd of promise, a vast and vibrant learnt, heaving with life, a lamb flowing with milk and dani. 00:11:44 Speaker 1: Moses rose to his knees and gazed deeper into the fire. 00:11:49 Speaker 3: In the middle. 00:11:50 Speaker 1: There was a brighter light, something like a beating heart, a heart that beat with compassion and love. 00:11:57 Speaker 3: I will strike dull the oppress. My chosen will know my hand and my heart. No rise, Moses, for it is you that I have chosen to send. 00:12:15 Speaker 2: Who am I to do this task? I am a wrongue Egyptian and a former prince. They won't follow me there, Ah, I'm not good for this. You're the wrong man. 00:12:29 Speaker 3: Once I have delivered my people and sent them free, you will bring them back to this mountain. I shall reveal myself to them and confirm my favor upon you. 00:12:42 Speaker 2: There are many gods in Egypt. They may not even know that you're the god of their forefathers. What's your name? Who shall I say? Send me? 00:12:53 Speaker 3: You wish to know my name? I am called according to my deeds. When I created the heavens and called forth creatures from the sea, I was called the Elohem, But when I speak with my choosen people and wage war against the wicked who oppressed them. I am called. 00:13:20 Speaker 1: A sudden wind swept through the canyon, whipping around the flames, churning them into a whirl of colors orange, blue, white. The fire roared upward, then descended like a shower of glowing embers, settling gently on the ground like falling petals. The Creator's voice descended from the heavens and sprang forth from the earth, all at once. Moses crumbled to the floor as he heard his name. 00:13:49 Speaker 3: I am who I am. 00:13:55 Speaker 1: Moses's heart was tight and heavy in his chest. He couldn't take his gaze away from the flame. It danced around Moses, nearly lifting him off the ground. 00:14:05 Speaker 3: Tell the children of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob that this is my name forever and will be remembered throughout the generations. 00:14:18 Speaker 2: This all sings too much. Where would I even begin. 00:14:27 Speaker 3: Gather the elders of Israel together and tell them that the Lord, the God of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to you. Tell them that I have observed their anguish in Egypt, and I promise to bring them out of their affliction. And into a new land, the land of the Canaanites, Phittites, Amorites, Parasites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the land I once promised to Abraham, a land flowing with milk and honey. 00:15:13 Speaker 2: By now Ramsey sits on the throne of Egypt. I know he won't part with his people. Am I to lead an army? How will I approach him? You may remember I didn't leave on the best of stirs. 00:15:30 Speaker 1: Moses noticed that his stammer had returned. It always did when he was nervous and afraid. Before the bright flames and rippling flaws, it seemed impossible to steady himself. Moses was shaking all over, trembling in fear of the God of all creation. 00:15:49 Speaker 3: Pharaoh will not let you go unless compel by a mighty hand. I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders. 00:16:02 Speaker 1: The flame rose like a sword, and then swooped down like the strike of a hawk. 00:16:08 Speaker 3: My people shall be free when they go. They will not go empty. They shall leave with silver, gold, tools, and riches. The Egyptians shall be defeated and plundered. 00:16:27 Speaker 2: Why do you want me to lead them? They won't believe me. I'm a stranger to them. Who am I did? They would even listen to my voice? 00:16:37 Speaker 3: What is in your hand, Moses? 00:16:41 Speaker 1: Moses looked down at his shepherd's staff. It was the same one he had picked up long ago at the well. It fit his hand perfectly. Years of shepherding had fit the shaft to his grip. 00:16:55 Speaker 2: This is my shepherd's staff. 00:16:57 Speaker 3: Throw it on to the ground. 00:17:00 Speaker 1: Moses toss'd the staff before him, and the sound of wood striking stone echoed through the canyon. The earth rippled around it, and to his shock, the staff began to writhe and twist, transforming into a living serpent. The snake coiled its body, rippling with tension, and raised its head, fixing Moses with a piercing gaze. 00:17:24 Speaker 3: Reach out your hand and catch the serpent by the tail. 00:17:29 Speaker 1: Moses heart thundered in his chest as he stepped cautiously around the serpent, positioning himself behind it. He reached out, and in one swift motion, he grabbed it by the tail. In an instant, the serpent turned back into a staff, firm and solid in his grasp. 00:17:49 Speaker 3: This will be a sign to him, so that all may know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has appeared to you and chosen you to lead. 00:18:06 Speaker 4: This. 00:18:08 Speaker 3: This all seems. 00:18:11 Speaker 2: Impossible. 00:18:13 Speaker 3: Place your hand inside your cloak, Moses. 00:18:17 Speaker 1: He did as he was told, slipping his hand beneath his cloak. When he withdrew it, he gasped. The skin was pale and withered, as white as snow, his flesh rotting and sickly, the bones nearly exposed. The stench of decay filled his nostrils. 00:18:36 Speaker 2: Oh, oh, leprosy, here am I dying. 00:18:44 Speaker 3: Put your hand back in. 00:18:47 Speaker 1: Moses did so, and his hand was restored. 00:18:51 Speaker 3: If the Israelites do not believe your first sign or heed your second sign, take some water from the nile and pour it on to dry ground. The water you take will turn to blood on the floor. The serpent, the rot, the blood. Life and death are mine to control, Moses. I am the author of life, and for the enemies of my people, I can authur death. 00:19:26 Speaker 1: Moses fell to his knees and gripped the dirt below him. His head shook in disbelief, not in the Lord, but in himself. Images of his past failures flashed before him. He felt frail and inadequate, the feeling of dread threatened to consume him. 00:19:47 Speaker 2: My Lord, I'm not an eloquent man. I've always be slow of speech and tongue. How can I speak with this feeble mouth of mine? 00:20:00 Speaker 3: Ward man's mouth? Who makes the mute, the death, the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I the Lord? Now go, I shall be your mouth and give you the words to speak. 00:20:24 Speaker 1: Moses fell to the floor, burying his face in the dirt. He trembled in fear, whimpering like a frightened child. Even with the words of the Creator himself commissioning him, Moses couldn't shake his feelings of inadequacy. He felt paralyzed. 00:20:43 Speaker 3: Your brother Aaron walks among the people. He is an orator of skill and a man of the people. I ye have already instructed him to meet you. When he sees you, it would please his heart. You shall speak to him, and he shall brooklaim on your behalf. I shall command you, and you shall command you. He shall be your mouth, and you shall be like a god to him. 00:21:17 Speaker 2: So you will still send me. 00:21:21 Speaker 3: Take the stuff in your hands, and go, Go and behold my wonders. I shall be with you. 00:21:32 Speaker 1: Moses watched as the flames swirled upwards, twisting into a spiral of light that reached for the heavens. The fire flared one final time, burning white hot, so intense that Moses had to shield his face, and then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the flame vanished, leaving nothing but the cool, empty air of the canyon. Moses was left standing alone, his heart heavy with both awe and dread. The memory of the encounter etched into his soul. He knew then that his life would never be the same again. This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris bag You can hear more Prey dot Com productions on the Prey dot Com app available on the Apple App Store and Google play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.